Syngenesophobia
by That Engineer
Summary: A general term for the fear of relatives, which can include siblings. When a fight at the Loud House goes too far, the fragile bond the family has is shattered by its outcome. A different twist to 'Brawl in the Family'. (Cover art by Extricorez)
1. An Angry House

**A/N: Hello dear readers. This is my first Loud House story with more planned, and this is something I wanted to get out there for a while. I'm a big fan of the series, but like most, there are certain episodes where things just make me want to punch some of the sisters in the face, or wish Lincoln would suddenly grow a pair and stand up to them.**

 **Now, Brawl in the Family is infamous due to how the episode was handled: the sisters fighting over something trivial like a damn dress BOTH Lori and Leni bought (and I'm sure it wasn't cheap), Lincoln acting a bit more dim than usual, and just the general treatment of him during the episode. Why did they have to kick him out of his room twice? Why did they take his bed sheets when they likely had spares in the family as large as theirs? Stuff that makes Lincoln seem like the black sheep of the family really gets to you.**

 **So, here's my twist on this episode. What if at the end, the sisters didn't fight each other, but had a new target?**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

The middle child of the 13-member family looked at disbelief as 9 of his sisters started arguing among themselves, and he couldn't help but feel guilty about this. All he needed to do was keep his mouth shut, but given his good-natured and truthful habits, he accidentally spilled some secrets the sisters had about each other. Lincoln backed into a corner next to the fireplace when it seemed evident that the fists would fly _very_ soon. His parents were hiding with Lily in their bedroom, which seemed like the best place to be in. But instead, fate had other plans.

Before another cloud fight could ensue, Lori whistled between her fingers, calling the attention of the others. "Hold on a second girls. Why are we even fighting like this again?"

"Because Ms. Sporty here thinks she needs a car-cleaning material due to my lisp! It's not something I can help you know!" Lisa glared at Lynn, some of her spit getting on the jock's face.

"And since Ms. Queen of the Mud here thinks I snore so loud, maybe she should FART louder!" Lola pointed out to her twin.

"Well you wouldn't have known about it if Lincoln hadn't-" The moment those words left Lana's mouth, the remaining sisters went wide-eyed before turning their attention to their only brother, who by now was halfway towards the safety of their parent's room.

"Lincoln..." The boy went pale at the mention of his name. Before he knew it, he was surrounded from all sides by his siblings.

"H-Hi girls."

"And just where do you think you're going?" Lola asked, a huge frown on her face.

"Um..." He paused, trying to think of an excuse.

"Nowhere, that's what." Lynn spat, cracking her knuckles.

"W-W-Wait, I'm sorry for accidentally spilling those secrets! I couldn't stop myself before it came out." The boy stated, the fear evident in his voice. However, like predators who cornered their prey, this didn't faze the sisters.

"While it is true those secrets you said were distasteful in nature, it was your responsibility to not speak word of it to anyone else, especially on who it was. And that is a trust bond you have broken too frequently as of late." Lisa stated in her usual monotone.

"And it was thanks to your big mouth me and Leni started fighting again!" Lori yelled in anger. "Thanks to you, our sister fight protocol didn't work like it should have!"

"All you had was _one_ job bro." Luna stated.

"DON'T. GET. INVOLVED!" All nine girls spoke in unison.

Those words again, 'Sister Fight Protocol' and 'don't get involved'. The white haired boy recalled how it seemed everyone _but_ him knew about it: Rita and Lynn Sr, heck, even Bobby knew of it (no doubt because Lori texted him). It angered him that his sisters excluded him again from something that would have benefited _all of them,_ but what did he get? Getting kicked out of his room twice, couldn't eat lunch or use the bathroom, and getting his sheets taken, only to have a pile of dirty laundry dumped on him. Rather hard to not get involved when you have your things being used without your consent.

Lincoln gritted his teeth in frustration. Normally, he would've just taken the yelling and backed down, but not this time. The girls were making this both more complex than needed, and the solution was so simple that he was honestly surprised the girls hadn't realized it. Giving a heated stare back at his sisters, "What is SO important about this stupid protocol that you just _HAD_ to exclude me from it?! Why is it I can't enjoy the things I want to do just because you and Leni needed space?! You both aren't the only ones who live in this house you know! Had I been informed of it, none of this would have happened! Ok so my first idea didn't work, I could've thought of something else! And how I am supposed to not get involved if you keep taking over my room and using my stuff?! Why couldn't you use some place else other than my place of peace?! But since you guys were being stupid, selfish, and not once thinking about that this dumb 'system' of yours isn't working (probably because you were being as dumb as Leni to realize it), I had to...to..." He stopped his rant after noting the angry glares his sisters were giving him.

Each of the nine girls had a look that was much harsher than what they would normally have when they were irritated. Fueled by the rage of their constant arguing and would-be brawl, the girls were highly tense and ready to unleash that anger on the boy that stood before them. Lincoln felt his blood run cold. The predatory stares from his siblings told him that he screwed up _horribly_ , and that he was a prey that was about to meet its end. The boy flinched when he saw Lynn cracking her knuckles, followed by the rest of the girls instinctively clenching their fists. Sweat formed on his forehead as his pupils shrank.

 _"Dang it_ _! Poor choice of words..."_ He thought to himself. Seeing as he was close to getting pummeled to possible death, his mind only thought of one thing: RUN. Pushing past 3 of his younger siblings, he lunged for the stairs. If he could make it to his room, he hoped he could barricade the door and wait this out. Unfortunately, as he was halfway up, Lynn tackled him and tussled with him back down the stairs. Once at the bottom, the rest piled in.

Now, Lincoln was used to getting into fights with his sisters (which he never won due to numbers), but this one was _much_ , _much worse_. It seemed as if they were hitting harder than they usually would and had thoughts to literally turn him into a human pretzel. Everything was coming at him so fast he didn't know what was going on, but all he knew was pain, and to try to protect his face. He screamed in agony when he felt himself get kicked in his crown jewels. Instinctively, his hands moved to protect the organ that defined his gender, but this left his face open. Several fists collided in quick succession, giving him a black eye, missing teeth, and a broken nose which had blood beginning to seep from it. He moved his hands from his still sore genitals to protect his face, but this just resulted in another foot stomping on his balls. The pain from both his face and his nether region was conflicting with his brain, making it hard for Lincoln to decide which area needed more shielding.

Against nine people, it was almost impossible for Lincoln to protect himself. The hits just kept coming, and the boy felt they were starting to grow fiercer with each impact. He wasn't much of a fighter like Lynn, so even if he tried to fight back it wouldn't have made a difference. In fact, even some of his younger siblings seemed stronger than him. His mind told him if he kept his stupid mouth shut, he wouldn't be in this situation. It then decided to remind him of all the things he did that pissed off his sisters: the video contest, the whole sweet spot ordeal, and now...this. Part of Lincoln felt he deserved this after making his sisters mad at him for the last time, but the other part told him this was too much, even for them. The boy was pulled from his thoughts when one of his arms got stretched out and bent in a direction opposite of its natural bend. He screamed in agony as the hits kept coming, tears finally falling from his face like a river flows from a mountain.

In the parents room, Rita and Lynn Sr. were huddled with their infant child, listening to the constant banging and fighting happening in the living room.

"I know they've had fights before, but this is nuts!" The patriarch of the family stated.

"I know I know..." Rita stated, looking at Lily for a moment. Only reason she was with them was because she was still very young. The mother of 11 didn't like it whenever her children fought over something trivial, and it did bother her when neither her or Lynn could do much about it. So for their parents sake, their daughters invented the Sister Fight Protocol do help reduce fighting in the house. However, this seems to have failed too.

"Lynn...I know we try to let our children handle their issues themselves, but...do you think we do too little to stop them?"

The father nodded in agreement. "I do...I mean, we agreed not to pick favorites so we don't cause any unintentional rivalry, well at least more so than they already have...I don't like saying this but sometimes I couldn't help but think if we had a smaller family...but I can never think about how fun and interesting ours is as it stands."

Rita couldn't help but agree to that. However, she also noticed the noise had stopped, both now hearing only the sound of someone crying. Both assumed it was Lily, but even she had a straight face and was confused. Cautiously, both parents peeked out the door. The sisters had stopped fighting, but now they had looks of guilt, regret, shock, and horror adorned on their faces. A few of them had their hands shaking unconsciously, with one of the girls staring at her somewhat bloody digits. The source of the crying was coming from the center of their circle, which now had both parents were immensely worried. In all the years their kids fought each other, it _never_ resulted in someone wailing like they were in serious pain.

"Uh, girls? What's going on?" Lynn Sr. asked.

The girls couldn't say anything, but instead Luna and Leni parted a bit. The looks on the adult's faces said it all, with Rita practically had tears in her eyes. "Oh my God, Lincoln!"

 **A/N: I'll stop it here so you guys can get a thorough read. Like I said, this is my first story for Loud House so please, give me some reviews to see what y'all think.**

 **Note: Was edited again to add more detail.**


	2. Stages of Grief

**A/N: Second chapter pulling in. Quite honestly, I'm rather surprised this story caught on quickly. I knew Loud House was pretty popular, especially if it centered around certain episodes, but I didn't expect the frequency at which this story was being favored/followed. Even got a few that added me to their favorite author's list. So, I'll be sure not to disappoint, and I thank everyone for the reviews (makes me nervous a little). I realized I forgot to proof read the first chapter before posting this story, so I'll go back and update it soon after posting this. I'm going to see if I can start making these chapters longer.**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

Lynn Sr., Rita, and Lily were sitting rather anxiously in the waiting area of the Emergency Room. After finding their son curled up on the floor, bruised, beaten, and trying to nurse his broken arm the best he could, they wasted no time scooping him up before driving off to Royal Woods General. Lily tried to soothe him on the ride over, but he had finally passed out from the pain, prompting the parents to hurry (and nearly catching the attention of the police). It's been a few hours since the nurses wheeled him past those double doors.

Rita's eyes were still red after crying non-stop, her husband comforting her. The pile of used tissues was evident how long this had been going on. Lily hadn't stopped staring at the doors since her older brother was taken through them, wanting nothing more than to be by his side. But even as an infant, she understood she wasn't allowed to be back there.

"I should've done something...I should've at least intervened before it got out of hand..." Rita croaked.

" _We_ should have dear...I wonder what made the girls do this...it's never got this bad..."

"I'm not concerned about the girls Lynn..." The mother stated, getting irate. "I'm worried about us! Ever since our family has grown, we've done what we can but it hasn't been enough! We entrusted them to handle themselves with care and look what happened! How can we even call ourselves good parents when we can't even prevent our daughters from putting our _only son_ in the Emergency Room?!" Her face fell into her hands at this.

He couldn't argue with her there. Even he felt like shit, seeing as he hadn't been there for his son a good amount of the time. Lynn Sr. always wanted a son, especially after the constant line of daughters they had. When Rita was pregnant with Lincoln, he expected it to be another girl given their history, but as if God finally listened to his prayers, they were given a son. And now, his little boy was faced with the possibility of death. Lynn Sr. never got too angry with his kids, but he felt so angry at his other 9 daughters he almost wanted to _disown_ them. Heaven forbid that he actually does.

The father was pulled from his thoughts when a nurse came through the doors. "Mr. and Mrs. Loud?" The two acknowledged her. "Your son is out of surgery, but the doctor would like to speak with you."

"S-Surgery?!" They both stated in surprise. The nurse only nodded and beckoned them to follow.

Richard Philips was known to be one of the best children doctors in the hospital. He's worked on kids that arrived from small accidents such as running with scissors to accidental hit-and-runs by a car. He's seen much through his life, and it always pained him to see kids in such a state. Visits from the Loud family were a bit common, but they usually weren't anything serious. As such, Lincoln's case surprised him greatly from the amount of injuries he sustained. He looked up from his clipboard to find one of his assistants returning with two people, the woman carrying an infant.

"Mr. and Mrs. Loud?" They nodded. "Ok, pleasant to meet you. I'm Dr. Philips. Now, I wanted to inform you first that your son is going to be ok. His condition is stable and he is currently sleeping from the anesthesia given to him."

"Oh thank God..." Rita sighed, but then she knew there had to be some bad news. "How...how bad is it?"

"Well..." He looked at his clipboard again. "Broken left arm, bruised cranium, a broken nose, missing teeth (thankfully those were baby teeth), damaged eye, bruised pelvis, his, ahem, penis and testicles were bruised so he'll be in some pain when it comes to using the bathroom, and lastly, 3 of his ribs were fractured and caused a little internal bleeding." Richard let this information sink in first before continuing. "Now, normally I'm not one to question this, but how did your son sustain these injuries? I'm only asking as part of procedure in the event the police may need to be informed."

Both parents paled at this. "N-N-No no no. The police don't need to get involved." Lynn Sr. was quick to say. The doctor looked at the two, expecting an answer. "...Thing is...our 9 other daughters...they did this..." The father said with regret.

"Hmmm...must have been over something serious if they were able to do this amount of damage." Richard stated. The parents agreed, but in reality, they knew it wasn't.

"Can...can we see him?..." Rita finally asked.

"Most certainly." The doctor lead them down the hall to Room 233.

Upon reaching the room, the doctor slowly opened the door, and instantly both parents were moved to tears. Lincoln was lying on the bed still asleep, but had medical bandages covering his head and torso, along with a cast on his left arm to keep it straight while it healed. His bruises were still evident and along with his swollen cheeks and eye. However, these were beginning to heal as well. There was an air tube connected to his nose along with another tube that was under the blanket. This one was connected to his penis to allow waste fluid to flow out into a container.

Rita had a hand over her mouth, fresh tears cropping up again. "Oh God, my poor baby!..." Her voice almost a whisper.

"Now, we're currently unsure how long it will take before we can release him, but we're estimating a 2 week to a month time from." Richards stated.

"Jesus..." Lynn Sr. said in sorrow. Looking over, Rita was at the bed knelt next to her son. Lily was on the bed, softly hugging him with a sad look on her face, small tears rolling down her face. The father's look soon hardened. He failed to be a good parent so far, and now it was time to act like one.

* * *

Back at the scene of the crime, the remaining loud sisters had slowly but surely dispersed around the house. They were still in shock about had occurred just hours ago, but one thing was fairly certain: fear, guilt, and regret plagued the house like locusts to a crop. At first, none of the sisters believed they had it in them to do what they did, thinking it might be a nightmare or something, but the fact their parents, Lily, and Lincoln were gone, their parents distraught looks when they saw what happened to their brother, and the fact there were some patches of blood in the carpet further reminded them this was reality, and they were going to be in some really deep poo-poo later on. It also made each sister re-evaluate the relationship they had with their brother.

Lori was in her room, a solemn look on her face as she stared out the window. Bobby had been texting her like he usually does, but she was in no mood to speak with her boo-boo bear. All she could think about was how broken her little brother looked. Lincoln could be an annoyance, a twerp she would call him often, even making fun of him for stupid mistakes. But the more she thought about it, they all made mistakes. Sure she's made dumb decisions in the past, but rarely had the siblings held her accountable for them. When Lincoln did, almost all the sisters took the chance to get on his case. The thought of it made her sick. But...any time Lincoln did make a mistake, he would always try to make things right. When had the sisters been held accountable for anything? She couldn't remember. Her bed vibrated from another text being received. From Roberto of course. He was asking if something was wrong due to her lack of replies. She sighed and began writing back to him. Sooner or later, he was going to find out what happened with Lincoln, and better that she tell him than his sister.

Leni hadn't stopped crying about the ordeal since their parents took the young boy away. Lying on the couch clutching one of the pillows, she was surprisingly still crying at full blast, part of the couch being soaked in the process. How could someone as sweet as the fashion diva do something so cruel? Leni herself didn't know and thought she had an evil twin. But in the end, she thought, no...she knew she was also responsible for the physical abuse her brother went through. This single thought ran through her head repeatedly, and allowed her to keep crying until she could no longer shed a tear.

Like Lori, Luna had been holed up in her room since the incident. Her face into her knees, soft tears ran through her eyes while sad, soft music played from the radio. Out of all the sisters, she was hit the hardest. Lincoln was closer to 5 of his sisters, those being herself, Leni, Lucy, Lana, and Lily, and yet Luna and Lincoln had a bond closer than that. The rocker had always been close to Lincoln since he was a baby. She would often sing for him when he was upset, laugh with him, play with him when no one else would, bloody fucking hell she even made his first SMOOCH concert one to remember. And now, she just helped in brutalizing her only male sibling. If Mick Swagger heard about this, he would outright state she wasn't worth following his footsteps and to give up rock n' roll all together. Well, he may not say that, but that's what Luna sure felt.

Luan was busy cancelling her appointments for future parties, and was considering shutting down Funny Business altogether. She didn't know when she would take on requests again, if at all, but the joker just didn't have it in her to try to be funny knowing her brother is likely in the ICU. For the first time in a while, even making a pun was the last thing on her mind. When Luan told Lincoln to butt out of their fights, part of her wanted him to do so because she didn't want him to be involved in their stupid fights over something trivial. The other half, she despised, was because she thought he would just make things worse. Sadly, the latter happened, and now he paid a price so severe...the comedian gave a frown of distaste, mainly at herself. All the pranks she pulled on him, and more specifically during last April Fools Day, she deliberately told him she invited Ronnie Anne over to make him go through all the traps she set up. That alone made her feel even less of a comedian and more of a jerk who takes joy in the misery of others. But, dwelling on the past wouldn't help. Instead, Luan decided to focus on how she could make it up to her brother. After all, he was going to need plenty of laughs to help him feel better.

In the backyard, Lynn was constantly beating her head into the side of the tree. "Stupid stupid stupid!" She said to herself. "How could do you that to him?! You're supposed to be the one protecting him, and yet you went and broke his arm!" The jock slammed her head hard into the bark, no doubt cutting up her forehead a little.

Yes, it was Lynn who took the chance to break her brother's arm. Angry tears streamed from her eyes as she continued to vent out her frustration on the giant plant before her. Lynn always liked to rough house with Lincoln. She found it fun, though sometimes Lincoln did complain about her going overboard. One would think with such closeness in age, the two might naturally drift to each other as playmates, yet it was always Lynn who sought out Lincoln, even when he was in the middle of something he wanted to do. Delivering constant punches to bark, Lynn soon wore herself out and cried loudly in despair. She wanted to take it all back, or at least go back in time so she could stop herself and everyone else when it was apparent the fight was getting too serious. But because she couldn't keep her rage in check, she physically broke her brother more than she ever had before. No doubt Lincoln would think of her as nothing but a bully. Lynn always hated bullies, but now she was beginning to realize she had become the one thing she hated...

Lucy was curled up in her bed, crying silently to herself. Like Luna, she was considered a close sibling to Lincoln, but today that couldn't be any more further from the truth. What happened today was completely inexcusable, and she knew the spirits were damning her for it every second. Even her love Edwin would refuse to drink a single milliliter of her blood. For the first time in a long time, Lucy allowed herself to show emotion. Her eyes were no longer hidden behind her bangs, which were being held up by a headband that matched the color of her hair. Her current depressed state was something she never experienced before, delving deeper thoughts that normally occur only when one goes through extreme bouts of stress, or have suicidal tendencies. She longed for nothing more than the smile Lincoln would usually give when he was happy, though now it would take a miracle for that to happen.

In the twins room, both refused to even look at one another. Lola had partially blamed Lincoln for what happened, but Lana was _very_ quick to remind her, harshly, that they had as much fault in breaking him like everyone else. After yet another tussle in their damaged room, the two depressed girls went to their separate sides and stayed there. Lana wouldn't play with her pets, and as the tomboy's words sunk into her twin, Lola refused to even look at herself in the mirror, because all she saw was a monster. She knew she had knocked out a few of her brother's teeth, though was unsure who else did. Looking over at her open closet, all those tiaras, all those gowns, the reason she won so many pageants...all of that was due to Lincoln's coaching. Rita was too busy to help, and none of the sisters had any interest in those affairs. Yet, it was always her brother who helped her when she needed it. He even managed to get _Lana_ to win one after convincing her to take her place when she broke her leg. In anger, Lola took off her tiara and threw it to the wall, not caring that it shattered on impact. She didn't deserve to wear it...

In a certain little scientist's room, Lisa was working on her chemicals as if nothing happened. But over time, she couldn't focus on her work. Her mind kept dwelling back to what Lincoln said before the fight started. Everyone knew of the sister fight protocol, except for him. Lisa then slapped her forehead in annoyance. When discussion of how the protocol were to work first began, she didn't include Lincoln as he normally didn't get into fights with his sisters. But what she failed to realize was how this whole thing inconvenienced him in some fashion. To make matters worse, she told him that by leaving the house, he solved everyone's problems simply by _not being there_. Tears started to well in Lisa's eyes, and she removed her glasses to clear them. She didn't foresee what would occur if Lincoln decided to help his siblings like he usually does, and even worse, she didn't clearly explain to him what happened when this protocol was in effect. Such a dumb move ended up causing the most violent fight ever in the house, and now her brother was in the hospital. Didn't help that in her anger, she stomped on his family jewels twice, hoping he wouldn't have the ability to reproduce. More tears welded up in the scientist's eyes. Not only did she fail as a self-proclaimed genius, she failed as a sister.

Sniffling, Lisa rubbed her eyes. "Forgive me...my brother..."

The house only came alive with noise when everyone heard the sound of Vanzilla pulling into the driveway. Fear gripped the sisters, knowing whatever punishment their parents would give them would be worse than any grounding they received previously.

 **A/N: And done. What punishment will the girls face? I'm debating on ideas right now, but ALL of them are going to be affected by this not only in their household, but also their social lives will be affected as well. And once again I thank everyone for the reviews and comments. This story really caught on like wildfire.**


	3. A Living Nightmare

**A/N: Chapter 3 people. In response to the constant questions as to when the next chapters will come or the frequency in which the story will be updated, it will be updated when I feel like putting in another chapter. I understand you guys are eager, but you CANNOT pressure an author to rush out good chapters, that's one way to degrade a story. It's the same effect for asking a game developer when another update will arrive, it won't make the chapters come any faster. Still, I appreciate your feedback, but please stop asking when the next update will come.**

 **Now, if there are any more questions, let's see what will happen to the guilty party.**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

The drive back home felt like hours for Lynn Sr., even though the hospital was only 30 minutes down the road. With Rita staying with their son until he had awakened, someone needed to go home and find out what the hell made the 9 sisters lash out at their brother. Lynn also supposed it would've been better if he dealt with the girls first, seeing as Rita might end up doing something so severe even she would regret it later on. The father would've taken Lily with him, but she clung to her brother like a vice, adamant on not leaving his side.

While driving, a long list ran through Lynn's head on how to punish his daughters. He wasn't even sure if a simple grounding would do, and regrettably, an idea cropped up about spanking his own children. Both Loud parents were usually against the idea of physically assaulting their kin, as they considered it amoral and might cause even more rift in the already fragile bond the family had. But given the circumstances, such an option was now justified. Another idea that came to mind was having the daughters visit Rita's Aunt Ruth every week. All of the kids hated her visits due to their aunt's constant need for attention, whether is was showing them old pictures of past vacations or worse, tending to the blisters on her feet. Lynn Sr. cringed at the thought. But, it would help enforce a point. He would have to make up his mind soon, cause before he knew it, the family wagon was pulling into the driveway.

The house was deathly silent as the Loud patriarch entered the house. Glancing around, he saw Leni on the couch with a tear stained face and blood red eyes.

 _"Well, at least Leni seems upset about the whole thing. But about the others?..."_ Lynn Sr. wondered. Taking a deep breath, he summoned his commanding voice. "GIRLS! LIVING ROOM, NOW!"

Almost immediately, the other residents of the house made their way to the couch. Even Lynn Jr., who was still outside, heard him. Studying the looks of his daughters, it was evident some had been crying, still had deep frowns of self-guilt, or in Lana and Lola's case, had gotten into another scrap with each other. Over what, he didn't know, or care for the moment. He was surprised to see that Lucy's eyes were no longer hidden.

Holding a stern look, "I suppose you all know what we're here to talk about?..." They all nodded. Then he asked the soul-piercing question. "Why?..."

There was some initial hesitation from the 9 sisters. There reasons varied from why they acted so cruelly to their male sibling, but in the end, it boiled down to one simple thing.

"After realizing that the arguments that started yesterday were partially caused by our b-brother, we ended up realizing by accidentally spilling secrets we had about e-e-each other, he was the root cause of our conflict...but..." Lisa took her glasses off, clearing her eyes again. She couldn't even speak in her usual monotone as her voice was cracking even further. "I'm not sure if it's the same for everyone else, but I was also reminded of his other misdeeds and traits that made him an a-a...annoyance, and..." At this point Lisa broke down and started crying like an actual 4 year old. "I lost control of my anger!...I even stomped on his mentula twice!..."

Everyone was a little confused by that last part, so she clarified. "His...his genitalia..." The others gasped, and even Lynn Sr. had instinctively moved a hand over his package.

At this point, then Lynn Jr. spoke, equally at fault for causing some damage. "I twisted one of his arms until I thought I heard the bone snap..."

Lola then spoke. "I'm...pretty sure I knocked a few of his teeth out..." She glanced over at the blood patches still in the carpet.

Lynn Sr. sighed. "Anything else you girls want to say what you did to your brother?..." After getting no response, he continued. "Well then, I hope you girls got what you wanted out of that fight. Your brother, your _only_ brother might I add, is going to be spending close to a month in the hospital! Not only does he have the injuries 3 of you are clearly responsible for, he also had his nose broken, his pelvis damaged along with his ribs, and he's suffered some blows to his head! All because the 9 of you couldn't keep a lid on your anger!" His voice boomed, the sisters visibly shaking. "And just so you know, saying 'you're sorry' isn't going to cut it this time ladies!"

The father sighed before sitting in a nearby chair. "Myself and your mother trusted all of you with one thing, that you could handle yourselves without much injury. That's the reason why this whole Sister Fight Protocol nonsense came about. But apparently, none of you can be trusted seeing it went out of control very quickly. So from now on, any time you girls start having a fight with one another, myself and your mother will handle it how we see fit. I've lost a lot of trust and respect for you all..."

He placed a hand on his forehead in frustration. "Normally I would discuss with Rita first, but since she's staying with Lincoln for possibly the whole evening I'll be saying this: you're all grounded indefinitely. Internet use is strictly for school use only, and any cartoons on TV will be blocked! Lori, your phone is getting parental settings on it, and you're forbidden from speaking with your boyfriend. You're driving privileges are also _severely_ limited. The only places you can go are to school and work." The oldest sibling looked at the floor in shame.

"Leni, you are no longer allowed to do anything fashion-related, and you can forget about daily trips to the mall." The blonde whimpered.

"Luna, no more concerts for you. Along with that, all of your musical gear will be put in storage. You're lucky I'll be letting you keep your MP3 player." The brunette nodded, sniffling a bit.

"Luan. It pains me to say this but you are forbidden from doing anything related to comedy. No more puns, you CANNOT do anymore of your video blogs, and your Funny Business job is also out the window." The joker saw this coming, but it still pained her to hear that.

"Lynn Jr. You're banned from playing ALL sports. You're sporting equipment will also be put in storage, and for breaking your brother's arm, you're not allowed to wear anything dealing with sports, or turn anything INTO a sport." The jock nodded, fresh tears creeping from her eyes.

Lynn Sr. looked at Lucy next, who was visibly shaking. She was gonna be tough since she's usually, well, mellow. But, he did have something figured out. "Lucy, you're forbidden from writing any poems. Your book will be kept in my and Rita's room, and anything dealing vampires or darkness in your room will be thrown out." The goth gasped in shock, but didn't say anything afterwords.

Next came the twins. "Lana, no mud-related things for you, and you are to keep yourself clean. And all of your exotic pets will be taken to the local animal shelter to be cared for. Can't promise if they won't be given to new families." The tomboy's heart literally shattered upon that statement.

"Lola, pageants are forbidden, and you can no longer dress like a princess. Along with that, your tiara's and gowns will be put into storage." The little not-so princess cried silently.

"Lastly Lisa. You're lab is going to be given to charity, or maybe the university. I'll have to think on that. Also, you're going to help pay for Lincoln's medical bill. I didn't this before, but your brother also required surgery to be done to him." The 9 siblings audibly gasped at this. Lynn Sr. then decided to add more icing to the cake. "Lastly, visits to Aunt Ruth will happen on a weekly basis!" The girls were now terrified. Just as he thought, the girls cringed at the idea of going over to their great aunt's house, well besides Lana, but even she didn't like seeing Ruth too often.

"At any point should you test the waters of your punishment..." The father then did something he thought he'd never have to do. He took off his belt and placed it on the table. All of the siblings literally paled as they stared at it, as if the devil was smiling at them from the inanimate object. "Now go upstairs and think about what you've done." Without missing a beat, the children ran for their lives.

Lynn Sr. almost wanted to cry from what he did, but it had to be done. He already stated the ground rules, and there was no going back. Still, he felt sick to his stomach. Carefully, he put his belt back on and went to his room, needing to lie down for a while. "Maybe I should consult a family therapist too..."

* * *

Lincoln had awoken to find himself in a dark area. He looked around before memories of what happened previously came to mind, but surprisingly, he bared no scars from that tussle with 9 of his sisters. Focusing back on the blackness that surrounded him, he tried to find a point of reference, yet nothing came up.

"H-Hello? Is anyone out there?..." He asked cautiously.

"Oh there's someone here Lincoln." A voice rang out. Lincoln recognized it instantly. "L-Lori? Where are you? Where am I for that matter..." He thought aloud.

"Where she is doesn't matter Lincoln. It's what's going to happen to you that you need to be concerned with." Another voice spoke, this one with a lisp.

"L-Lisa?...Wait, is this a prank? This isn't funny guys!"

"Ooh I wish it were a prank, but sadly it's not." Luan's voice came next.

Lincoln looked around fearfully before attempting to run. Instead, he tripped when his right leg became stuck on something. Looking back, he sees it was chained to the floor. He tried to free himself when suddenly, another chain shot up from the ground behind up and wrapped around his neck, bringing him to the floor. He started choke as it tightened. At the same time, a bright light flashed and eliminated all traces of darkness, revealing a blood-red colored room. It was the living room of the house, yet it looked as if it came from hell.

"Wha...what's is this place?" The white haired boy asked, fear ever present in his tone.

All of his sisters (minus Lily) soon surrounded him, but instead of appearing how they usually do, they were demonic in nature. Luan was shown to be holding a set of chains. "Hope you like these CHAINLINKS. Heh heh heh! Get it?" The other sisters groaned.

"Why?" The chain on his neck tightened even further. "Why are you doing this?" Lincoln choked out.

"Simple bro. You're always the one who causes the fights in the house." Luna stated.

"And as an easy solution, we decided to nip the problem by its roots." Lisa stated, before her voice became distorted and deep. "By eliminating YOU!"

Suddenly, the group of demons brandished several weapons, ranging from small objects like a hammer to heavy ones such as a chainsaw and spike gauntlets. Being restrained to the floor, Lincoln couldn't do anything to defend him. As his sisters jumped, he screamed as loud as he could.

* * *

In real time, Rita resting in one of the chairs in the room. Lily was asleep, hugging her brother's undamaged arm. The only sound in the room was that constant rhythmatic beeping of the heart monitor. However, it soon detected Lincoln's heart rate beginning to climb, the constant beeping getting faster and faster. The mother of 11 was soon awoken by this, wiping the sleep from her eyes before taking a glance at it. His pulse was higher than normal, and was still climbing. Rita began to fear that her son might be suffering a heart attack, but this thought was quelled when he started to talk in his sleep.

"No...no please...don't..." He murmured.

The mother then realized he was just having a nightmare, and was quick to aid him. Coming over, she gently shook him. "Lincoln. Lincoln! Wake up!"

Within seconds, the young boy's eyes popped open as he screamed loudly, only for it to turn into a coughing fit as his chest was still sore. The heart monitor's beeping began to slow, signifying his pulse returning to normal. Lily was startled from the noise and started to cry as well. Rita picked up her infant daughter and soothed her while also tending to her son. "You ok Lincoln?"

The middle child groaned. "M-Mom?...Where...where are we?"

"We're in the hospital Lincoln..."

"Wait...the hospital?..." Looking around, he noticed the bandages on his chest, his arm cast, and devices hooked up to him, etc. His chest and mouth were still sore as well. "My...my sisters...they..." Tears started to flow from his eyes as memories of 9 of his sisters pummeling him cropped up.

Rita calmly set Lily on the bed and comforted her sniffling son. "Shh shh...don't worry my baby boy...everything's gonna be alright..." She gently stroked his head. She wished to hug him, but this might injure him further.

"Wincoln?" Lily spoke, surprising them both.

"Lily?...When...when did you..." Lincoln started. Lily didn't say anything as she crawled up to her brother and hugged his face. If there was anything Lincoln couldn't deny, at least Lily wouldn't hurt him. Lincoln used his right arm and returned the gesture. "How long was I asleep?"

"For several hours. You had to go through surgery dear...I'm not sure what they did but I'll ask the doctor." Rita replied.

The boy was about to say something when an announcement came over the PA system. "Attention all guests. Visiting hours will end in 5 minutes."

Rita sighed. She didn't want to leave her son by himself, and there was a possibility security might escort her out. "Dang it...sorry dear but I don't think they'll let us stay..." She picked up Lily, who resisted.

"Noooooo!" The baby whined.

"Mom..." She paused, glancing at her son. The look he gave her said he would be deathly afraid of being alone in the room. "Please...don't go..."

Maternal instincts overrode whatever rules the system had in place. There was no way in _hell_ she was going to abandon her child when he needed her, especially now. "Alright sweetie. I'll go ask the doctor and see if we can work something out."

* * *

Roberto Alejandro Martinez-Millian Luis Santiago Jr., also known as Bobby, was well known for his prowess of being a hard worker and a dedicated boyfriend. It is quite shocking the lengths he would go to make his girlfriend Lori happy, even going as far as to getting certain jobs just to impress her. Despite being easy-going, he can be a bit childish, such as that one time he broke up with the Loud girl just because Lincoln made Ronnie Anne upset (which to be fair, the two children had not been in a commited relationship yet). But, at least he means well. After that double date at Jean Juan's French/Mexican buffet, the Hispanic boy got to know Lincoln better, and considers him the little brother he always wanted.

Considering that Bobby and Lori text each other non-stop, the two often grow concerned when either one hasn't been responding at their usual frequency. As such, it's typically an indicator that something's wrong. And boy this would be the understatement of the year. Roberto spent 30 minutes re-reading the texts Lori sent him, still not believing what was on it. She told Bobby everything: the fight, the failure of the sister protocol, Lincoln's hospitalization, and just recently the punishments being enforced on her and every sister except for Lily. She ended this by saying it would be the last text he would see from her for a while.

Putting the phone on his bed, Roberto was just stumped. He couldn't believe 9 of Lincoln's sisters put him in the hospital. Sure, he was a bit angry at them for doing such a thing, but they didn't mean to, right? And speaking of Lincoln, the 17 year old's thoughts drifted to his little sister. Considering how close she and the Loud boy are, she would _not_ take the news well.

Giving a heavy sigh, he tossed the phone on his bed and sought out his sister. She would find out eventually since Lincoln's absence would become apparent, and it's better she get a head start on the grieving process.

 **A/N: The punishments have been set, the actors are taking their place, and more is on the way. I can only imagine the look on Ronnie Anne and Clyde's face when they find out.**

 **I mentioned the whipping of children since it's something that happened to me growing up (fully deserved it), but in some cases I believe there are kids who need to get their asses beat to set them straight. Had quite a few bad apples in my elementary school who could've used it.**


	4. Spreading Like Wildfire

**A/N: Welcome to chapter 4 guys. Once again, thank you for the continued feedback (also it reminded me of those errors I made in the first chapter, so I corrected those this morning). As far as the punishments concerned, I believe most were justified, though I know someone suggested juvie or having them spend an entire year at Aunt Ruth's. To be honest, I felt those are too extreme and would be unnecessary. And while destroying their prized possessions does sound fun, you gotta remember all of that shit must've cost a fortune, and given it likely took them** ** _years_** **to obtain the stuff they have now, that's a bit harsh, even for my taste.**

 **Also to Mr. Noname, I doubt I'll use that incident from Picture Perfect, largely because all of the episodes are mostly random plots that have little relation to each other. You could say Brawl in the Family takes place after Space Invader due to similar plots, but it doesn't mean they are interconnected.**

 **Also to Wolvenstrom, that's not entirely true because even if Lincoln isn't involved, the sisters will still beat the hell out of each other.**

 **Now, let's see how Lincoln's friends react to the news. Pretty sure you guys will enjoy it.**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

Ronnie Anne Santiago was known as many things: a hardcore tomboy, the school's 'Tough Girl' and occasional bully, the Queen of Pain, and generally someone whose bad side you _do not_ want to be on. Lincoln himself could attest to that. But 'concerned girlfriend' was something not many knew of. Only Bobby, Lori, and Clyde know about the close relationship she has with the middle child of the Loud family, and she preferred to keep it that way lest someone tried to denounce her already fierce reputation (even then, said person would very likely get decked in the face). Unfortunately for her, even she would be forced to show the sensitive and caring side she secretly harbors.

The young Hispanic girl was currently lying on her bed upside down, playing a new handheld game that came out just a few days ago. She texted Lincoln around noon to see if he wanted to hang out today, but had gotten no response. Some time later she texted again and even called his phone, but it went straight to voice mail. While Ronnie Anne wasn't text happy like her brother, it still bothered her that Lincoln hadn't responded at all. She grew irritated at the thought that he may be ignoring her, but she calmed herself, remembering that Lincoln's family was _much_ larger than hers. No doubt his sisters were keeping him busy with whatever it was they did. But even so, he would have had to at least glance at his phone at some point.

A sudden knock on her door pulled her undivided attention from the game, which cost her another life. "Ugh! Dang it." Ronnie Anne turned her head to the door. "It's open!"

Bobby poked his head in, getting an irritated glare from his sister. The 11 year old sighed. "What is it Bobby?..."

"You haven't talked with Lincoln today have you?" He asked, a little nervous.

"No. I texted and called Lame-o, but he didn't have the nerve to respond."

"Riiight..."

Ronnie Anne glanced at her brother as his tone of voice made it evident something was clearly wrong. "Ok, what is it? Did you and Lori have a falling out again?"

"Well..." He sat on the edge of the bed. "You could say that. But, what I'm going to tell you is really, really bad news sis. And it's about Lincoln."

The 11 year old gave a questionable look before rolling backwards on her bed and sat up. "What do you mean?..."

Bobby paused for a moment before answering. "Lincoln is...he's at the hospital..."

Ronnie Anne was still confused. "Wait, what you mean he's at the hospital? Is he visiting someone?"

"No. I meant he's being _cared for_ at the hospital. Lori told me everything a while ago...she and 8 of her sisters got into a big fight with Lincoln that left him seriously injured, so he's been admitted to Royal Woods General some hours ago. From what her dad said, he's likely going to be in there for a month...the girls got grounded big time...and me and Lori broke up...again..."

The Hispanic girl blinked twice. Despite having taken in every word he said, she didn't want to believe it. Sure, Lincoln has told her he's gotten into fights with his sisters, but the boy usually came out of them with only a few bruises or scratches. "Please tell me you're joking Roberto...please, _please_ tell me everything you said is part of a prank. Did Luan have any part of this?..."

The boy glared at his sister. "Would I _joke_ about me and Lori breaking up?! She texted me _everything_! Look for yourself!" He tossed her his phone.

Ronnie Anne caught it and scrolled through the text blocks. As she read through them, her infamous temper was building up. It was only halfway through the texts that it reached it's usual peak, but it didn't stop there. By the time she was finished reading, the Hispanic girl was seeing _blood red_. This wasn't a tranquil fury you'd see in a volcano erupting, this was close to _nuclear armageddon._ To even enforce this point, Ronnie Anne's head was as red as a rose. She was also grinding her teeth and visibly shaking. To say she was livid would be an understatement.

Bobby was rather disturbed by this display. He knew she'd get upset, but he didn't expect this level of anger to surface again. The first time it happened was when Ronnie Anne was in 2nd grade. A group of boys thought it would be funny to do a food prank on her during lunch. After being covered in a large amount of foodstuffs, Ronnie Anne was instantly laughed at by everyone present. At first, she cried, but then she became absolutely _livid_ and beat those pranksters so hard they spent nearly two months in the hospital.

Screaming in anger, the young girl threw the phone at the wall, smashing it to pieces. "Those fucking bitches! I don't care that they got the grounding of a lifetime! That's _nothing_ compared to what I'm going to do! They put Lincoln in a hospital huh? I'll put them in _comas_!" With a strength that surprised her brother, she picked up her nightstand with little difficulty and flung it out the open window. The crashing noise could be heard throughout the whole block.

Bobby cautiously approached his sister, who now just seemed content on panting out her frustration. "Ronnie Anne..." She looked at him, and he could clearly see the hate burning in her eyes. But, at the corners of her eyes, he also noted tears had been forming. "Come here..." He pulled her into a hug.

Ronnie Anne resisted at first, but as her brother gently ran his fingers through her hair, any resistance she wanted to muster faded. The girl finally allowed herself to cry freely, hot tears running down her cheeks. This was the side of Ronnie Anne only Bobby knew she had. She wouldn't even let Lincoln see her crying if she was upset.

"Just why?!...Why would they do something like this?!..." She sniffled.

"I don't know sis...I honestly don't know..."

"...I want to go see him...I don't care if it's a school night...I...I just want to see if he's alright..."

"That's gonna be tough sis." Bobby looked at the clock. It was almost 10 o'clock. "You know mom and dad don't want us being out this late, but I'll promise you this: we'll go visit him immediately after school. Sound good?" Ronnie Anne nodded. Bending to her level, he lightly pecked her forehead. "Night sis. See ya in the morning."

The girl nodded before her brother left the room, closing the door along the way. Glancing out her window, she saw her socks and underwear scattered among the remains of her trashed bed piece. The 11 year old sighed as she closed her window, knowing she'd get an earful from her mother later. Changing into only her panties, Ronnie Anne slipped on a purple tank top before flopping backwards onto her bed. She definitely did not expect the bombshell that was brought on her just now. But, now she knew why Lincoln hadn't talked with her today; he was in no position to. Grabbing her phone, she pulled up the image gallery and flipped through a few photos. Each of them showed her and Lincoln posing at a few places they hung out at, but one she stopped at showed her kissing the cheek of a very surprised Lincoln.

"What did they do to you Lincoln?..." Ronnie Anne muttered.

* * *

The very next day, Ronnie Anne slumped to her first class. It was evident that she hadn't slept well, if at all, given the small bags under her eyes. Her depressed state was well evident to most of the students, who made sure to give her a wide berth. The only person brave enough, or allowed, to get near her was none other than Lincoln's best friend, Clyde.

"Hey Ronnie Anne. How's-" He took note of her features. "Woah...you ok?"

"Does it _look_ like I'm ok?..." She half-glared at him.

"Didn't hurt to ask...but have you seen Lincoln? He wasn't at the bus stop this morning."

The Hispanic girl stared at the floor. "No...I haven't..."

The African-American lad was getting some bad vibes from this. "You and Linc didn't have a fight or something did you?"

"No Clyde...but I gotta ask. Did you talk with Lincoln at any point during the weekend?"

"Yeah. He came over on Saturday because his sisters were fighting again." Before he could say more, the 5-minute warning bell rang. "Dang it, I'll tell ya more at lunch. Or you can ask Lincoln if he shows up today." Clyde stated before running off.

"So he doesn't know yet..." Ronnie Anne muttered. She made a quick stop by her locker before sprinting to class.

Throughout the first 3 hours of school, the Hispanic girl could barely pay attention. Only thing on her mind was trying to piece together what caused the fight between Lincoln and 9 of his siblings. The texts Lori sent only told stated what happened _after_ the fight, nor did it speak of the extent of Lincoln's injuries. She was called out a few times for not paying attention, but she didn't care much. Once lunch rolled around, she sought out Clyde, who also happened to talking with Lucy's goth friend, Haiku.

"So I was thinking about asking Lori to the movies this week." Clyde gave a dreamy sigh. "You think she might be still into Blarney?"

"Considering she's 17, doubt it." Haiku replied without any hint of care in her tone.

"Clyde, whose this?" Ronnie Anne asked as she approached the two.

"Oh, this is Haiku. We met each other at the Sadie Hawkins dance."

"Pleasant meeting you."

 _"Great, another Lucy..."_ The Hispanic thought to herself. "So what were you saying about Lincoln earlier?"

"Oh, right. He stayed the night to let his sisters cool down, and during that time I gave him a therapy session. He said he tried the best he could to help them, though they were following something called a Sister Fight Protocol. From what Lincoln said, it only made things worse. He said if they just let him help, he could fix everything, but instead they kept telling him to not get involved. So he resolved to back and try to get his sisters to talk it out the next morning. I don't know anything after that." Clyde explained.

"Well I do..." Ronnie Anne replied, her anger surfacing again.

"You do?" Clyde asked. Haiku simply raised an eyebrow.

"His so-called 'sisters' put Lincoln in the hospital...all because he wanted to _help_ them?!" She said more to herself than anyone else.

Clyde was drinking his juice when Ronnie Anne said this, causing him to nearly choke. "Lincoln's in the _hospital_?!"

"Now that you mention it, Lucy was quieter than usual. In fact, she even had her _eyes_ visible." The goth girl stated.

"Never thought I'd live to hear that...Ronnie Anne, are you _completely_ sure you know where he is?" Clyde asked.

"Look McBride, I'm _deathly_ sure I know where my own boyfriend is!" Ronnie Anne yelled a little too loud, causing some of the students within earshot to glance. She gave them all a hate-filled glare. "What are you all looking at?!" Immediately they averted her gaze. "I swear, if I see even _one_ of his sisters, I'm going to-" The tomboy paused when someone caught her eye.

Not far from Clyde, Haiku, and Ronnie Anne, was Lynn Loud Jr. However, something was different about her today. Her normal, cheery self was gone, only leaving this depressed shell of a sports fanatic. Not only that, instead of wearing her usual red sports jersey and matching shorts, instead it was a red tank stop with blue jean shorts. Sitting next to her was Polly Pain, who was trying (and failing) to get her to talk.

"Come on Lynn. It's one thing to stop wearing your favorite jersey, but quitting _every_ sports team?! Something's clearly wrong here."

Lynn sighed. "I told you Polly, I don't want to talk about it..."

"Well, I may not be a psychiatrist, but I do know that the longer you hold it in, the more it's going to hurt..." The roller blader stated.

" _Something's_ going to hurt alright..." A new voice stated.

Looking up, Ronnie Anne stood across from their table. "What's up with you Ronnie Anne?" Lynn asked.

"I know what you did Loud..." The girl spat with venom.

"What are you talking about?" Lynn asked, getting defensive.

"I'm only going to ask this once, and you better give me an answer before I rearrange your face!" The Hispanic girl yelled, leaning on the table. "What...did you do...to Lincoln?!" She slammed a fist on the table at the end.

"Wait, what does Lincoln have to do with this?" Polly asked.

"Yes Lynn, tell us why Lincoln is involved in this..." Ronnie Anne growled.

The jock grew angry at this. She'd been asked the constant question of 'why' several times this morning, from each sports team she resigned from, her friend Polly, and now Ronnie Anne. She didn't wish to talk about what happened yesterday, but the world just wanted to pry into her personal life didn't it? Also, it didn't help other students were now taking notice of this spectacle.

"Fine! You want to know what happened to Lincoln?! He's in the hospital because of me and 8 of my sisters! He's there because we all failed to keep our anger in check, and I broke one of his arms in a fit of rage! HAPPY?!" She explained, tears of anger falling down her face.

Ronnie Anne's hands curled into fists as her pupils shrank. Even if did shed some light on the issue, she clearly wasn't happy the answer. "You BITCH!"

The Hispanic girl lunged over the table and tackled Lynn to the floor, knocking the two food trays over in the process. The school's tough girl started strangling the life out of the jock, but Lynn grabbed one of the discarded trays and smacked the dark haired female in the face. Using it as a weapon, the brunette hit Ronnie Anne a few times in the head before she caught it and literally threw both it and Lynn onto another table several kids were sitting at, sending food and trays flying. In a panic, half the cafeteria stampeded out, though the other half, like most dumb students in school, simply encouraged them to keep fighting. Ronnie Anne jumped on the table pinned Lynn to it, delivering 3 harsh blows to her face. However, Lynn caught the forth punch and flung her to the floor, taking the opportunity to do the same to her.

In response, the tough girl pushes Lynn's face up before kicking her off. She lunges at the Loud girl but Lynn backfists her. Taking advantage of her hoodie, Lynn pulls it over the Hispanic girl's head. She spins Ronnie Anne around while her vision is blocked, landing a few blows to the back of her head before her enemy manages to slip out of her jacket, revealing her to be wearing a black tank top with the words "Bite Me" on the front. A little dazed, Ronnie Anne couldn't protect herself from the flying kick Lynn lands directly on her mouth, sending her flat on her back. The crowd winces at this. Shaking her head, the Hispanic girl felt something loose in her mouth before spitting out a tooth.

Now further enraged, she charges back towards Lynn. Lynn aims another kick at her, but the tough girl grabs her leg, lifting her up and slamming her onto her stomach. Pinning her to the floor, Ronnie Anne proceeds to slam her face into the Quartz-like surface. Lynn turns her head to the side, revealing her nose to be damaged and a few of her teeth about to fall out. She tries to punch Ronnie Anne off, but instead the tough girl grabs her fist and plants her foot onto the jock's head.

"You broke Lincoln's arm huh? Let's see how you like having one..." She glared viciously before twisting the girl's arm. Lynn could feel the bone reaching its limit and knew Ronnie Anne wouldn't stop there. She tried to get up or at least roll over, but the Hispanic girl had her where she wanted her. The jock grunted in pain, kicking her feet out as pain coursed through her arm; the muscles and bone reached their max flexing potential. One more twist and the bone would pop right out. But before Ronnie Anne could take her vengeance, a booming voice resounded throughout the lunch room.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" The students turned, catching eyes with the principal, 2 security officers, and a few teachers.

Kevin Walker had a few years of being the school's head to know a good deal about the students, particularly those with outstanding achievements or the bad apples. Walking to the center of the crowd, he found the two girls still in the position they were in when he interrupted. "Both of you: my office, NOW."

Hesitantly, Ronnie Anne got off Lynn, who started to massage her sore arm. "Don't think this is over Loud..."

"Far from it..." Lynn glared, spitting out her loose teeth.

Somewhere in the crowd, Clybe, Haiku, and Polly Pain glanced at one another, unsure what was going to happen now.

 **A/N: I _really_ enjoyed writing this chapter, from expressing Ronnie Anne's pain to the fight at the end. I was thinking of adding some hair pulling since both of them have pony-tails, but I think this is good enough. Lynn is really lucky the principal walked in, because Ronnie Anne was gonna break her arm and then some.**


	5. Depression's Vice-like Grip

**A/N: Man, chapter 4 was pretty intense, this one might not even measure up to it. But we will see. I'll try to make this one longer since a few have been wanting to see that. My other two stories (both Sonic related) average around 5k words per chapter, so let's see if I can make it similar for this one.**

 **In relation to the questions about how Lynn and Ronnie Anne are in the same school, their school is K-8 in this story. On the Loud House wiki, it's currently unknown if the school Lincoln attends is just elementary or a hybrid school (neither has been officially confirmed). Most assume its elementary because we've only seen Lincoln, his friends, and his younger siblings there (naturally his older sisters are middle/high school age, but none of their schools have been mentioned). Taking into account only the university Lisa teaches at has been mentioned, and the fact the only other grade school mentioned exists in a separate town doesn't help. So, it's entirely possible Lynn does attend the same school at her younge siblings, but they rarely see each other due to their schedules. This also means Luan attends the same school (so she'll make an appearance today).**

 **Now, given the scuffle that happened in the lunch room, will the Loud Family go from being known as a chaotic bunch to being considered monsters? Safe to say, that therapist will come in handy.**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

The matriarch of the Loud family held its youngest member in her arms, feeding Lily her lunch. Lincoln was also eating some lunch, mainly soft foods as his missing teeth made it rather difficult to eat properly. Rita stayed all night at the hospital to keep her son company, which he was very grateful for. The boy suffered through another nightmare, and he was afraid to open up about it. Since she planned to stay overnight, Rita asked her husband to bring over Lily's food supplies and diapers. When he arrived, he informed her that the rest of their daughters had been severely grounded and the extent of what each of them had to do. He even told her he threatened to use a belt on them if they stepped out of line, surprising the mother. When questioned if he believed that may have been too much, Lynn Sr. was hesitant at first, but he thought it helped bring his point across. He didn't stay long though, considering he had a lot of materials to move to storage. But, he was happy his son was finally awake.

Lily started to play with her food as Rita fed her, almost knocking the spoon out her hand. "Lily." She chuckled. "Hold still, you're gonna make a mess."

The infant babbled before blowing a raspberry. Rita cleaned off the child's face before her phone began to ring. Looking at the caller ID, it was a number she didn't know.

"Hello?"

"Hello. Am I speaking to Rita Loud?" A masculine voice said on the other line.

"This is she."

"Hello Mrs. Loud, this is Principal Walker from Royal Woods Combined Grades School. Your daughter, Lynn Loud Jr., is sitting outside my office on the account she and another student got into a fight in the cafeteria."

"Another student? On what?"

"Yes, it was with Ronnie Anne Santiago. They haven't been saying anything since they've been brought in here, so I'm hoping you can come help shed some light on this situation. I've already called Ms. Santiago's parents as well."

Rita sighed. She hoped that after yesterday her daughters would try to stay out of trouble. Considering that Lynn Sr. was still busy moving stuff into storage (and the fact the family only has one car), she'd have to call a cab.

"Lincoln, I have to go to the school to get your sister."

The boy visibly shook upon her saying that. "W-Which one?"

"Lynn. Apparently she got into a scuffle with someone. Are you going to be ok by yourself?"

"Y-Yeah. I-I'll be fine..." He replied nervously.

Rita walked over to him. "Don't worry sweetie, I'll be back soon." She kissed his forehead before picking up Lily. "Say goodbye Lily."

"Bah Wincon!" Lily said happily.

Once she was out the door, the mother sighed again. "Hard to believe our family has become like...well this..."

* * *

In the spacious room just outside the principal's office, Ronnie Anne and Lynn sat 5 chairs apart. One of the security officers was keeping watch so they wouldn't try to pounce each other. The two refused to even glance at one another, just giving a menacing glare whenever their gazes locked. The only thing going through the Hispanic girl's head right now was how she was going break every bone in Lynn's body. Sure, the sports maniac may be strong, but she sure isn't invincible. In Lynn's case, she was hating how crappy her week has been so far. First the grounding, then the constant pestering, and now getting into a fight with the school's tough girl? And it was only MONDAY. She supposed it couldn't get any worse, not knowing that whenever someone even thinks that phrase, the universe will prove them wrong.

Twenty minutes of silent tension passed before the door to the hallway opened, revealing a middle-aged Hispanic woman who, to be fairly honest, looked like an older version of Ronnie Anne. The suit she wore indicated she just came from a desk job. "Hija! You better have a good reason for getting yourself in trouble this time!" The woman stated angrily.

"Oh I've got plenty..." Ronnie Anne muttered.

Less than a minute later, Rita walked in with Lily. Upon seeing the two girls, she was expecting to see only a few scratches. Instead, she was met with bruises, damaged faces, and small amounts of blood. Lynn even had tissues in her nostrils to stop them from bleeding out after she reset her nose.

"Oh boy..." The mother of 11 groaned. "Mrs. Santiago I'm very sorry about this."

"Don't worry. It's not the first time Ronnie Anne got herself into trouble. But I'm still expecting an answer!" She glared at her daughter.

Kevin poked his head out of his office after hearing the noise. "Ah ok you're both here. Come in." Once both parties were in and seated, he started explaining everything to the mothers. "We got reports about these two fighting in the middle of the cafeteria. When we got there, Ronnie Anne was on top of Lynn and was twisting her arm. Given her reputation in the school, I'm assuming she may have instigated the fight, but Lynn isn't so innocent either. Normally these two don't have issues with one another, so I'm wondering if you two might know the reasoning behind this."

Rita immediately had a theory as to what happened, though she was hesitant to say. However, Lynn spoke first. "Well you're right about one thing. Ms. Anger Issues here attacked me first!"

Ronnie Anne immediately took offense to that and was about to jump the Loud girl, but was held back by her mother. "You know the reason why, and I'm going to knock the rest of your teeth out!"

"Hija! Hija...calm down. Why did you attack her?"

Ronnie Anne eventually ceased her struggling. "Lincoln...Lincoln's not here because of her..." The Hispanic girl pointed accusingly at Lynn. "And she's not the only one to blame..."

Walker was just as confused as Mrs. Santiago. "You mean Lincoln Loud right?" Ronnie Anne nodded. "What exactly does he have to do with this?"

Rita looked at the floor in shame. "I had a feeling that's what it was about..." She muttered. "Mr. Walker...our children got into a major fight with each other yesterday that left him need of medical attention. I realized we hadn't notified the school yet, but could you tell Lincoln's teachers he won't be in school for a while?"

Walker nodded. "I'll make note of that. Now, I'm not sure if this is just a family issue, but even so, we have strict rules when it comes to conflicts in this school. Sorry to say, but both of these girls are going to be suspended for 3 days. Do you have any questions?" He was met with silence. "Ok, so they will both be allowed back on school grounds by Friday, but they will be expected to catch up on whatever classwork they've missed."

Rita and Mrs. Santiago weren't surprised, Ronnie Anne looked like she didn't care, but Lynn was ashamed of herself. After leaving the office, both parties had separated. Upon getting to their car, Mrs. Santiago looked at her daughter in the front passenger seat. The tough girl had simmered down enough to have a depressed look on her face as she stared out the window.

"Ronnie Anne..." She said in calm, soothing voice. "Is there something you didn't say at the principal's office? I know that Lincoln is one of your best friends, but I never expected you to get into a fight with one of his sisters over him..."

"Lynn broke his arm..." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Could you repeat that?" The mother asked.

"Lynn broke his arm!" She yelled, her temper rising as she turned to her mom. "It wasn't just that either! 8 of his sisters were involved in this too! He's in the _hospital_ because of them! And something tells me he's got more than just a popped shoulder!"

"Hold on dear, how do you know it wasn't just Lynn?"

"Bobby told me everything last night after Lori texted him..." The girl replied.

"I see..." The mother looked out the windshield for a moment before turning back to her daughter. "Is there anything else you want to say? You broke that girl's nose and even a few of her teeth I'm guessing, so there's likely more to this story..."

Ronnie Anne sighed in defeat. "Lincoln...he's...he's not just my best friend...he's my boyfriend..."

Mrs. Santiago was rather surprised by this. She knew Roberto had a girlfriend, but she didn't think her daughter also had a significant other. So naturally, she was delighted. "EEEEEEEE! _My daughter has found a man_!" She yelled happily in her native tongue.

Ronnie Anne blushed at her mother's reaction. "Not so loud mom! You want the whole school to hear you?"

"Sorry, I'm just so happy!" She realized her daughter got into that fight not because she had a bone to pick with Lynn, but because she was coming to the defense of her _boyfriend_. However, it soon dawned on her how much pain Ronnie Anne must be feeling right now. It would also explain why her daughter's nightstand was in pieces on the front lawn. Mrs. Santiago looked at the girl, who now had small tears running down her cheeks. "Oh come here mi bebé..." The mother stretched her arms over the middle console and pulled the girl into a hug. She gently stroked Ronnie Anne's hair as the girl poured her eyes out. Then, a thought came up. Since Ronnie Anne said Roberto told her _everything,_ she might know what hospital Lincoln was staying in.

"Do you know where he's at currently?" Her daughter nodded. "Want to go see him?"

She nodded again. "Please..." She sniffled.

* * *

Given the extent of damage done to Lynn's face, a simple trip to the dentist wouldn't cut it. Rita was going to have to take her to the hospital so a doctor could look at her. Good thing she planned to go back there anyway. Lynn was staring out the window as the cab they rode in breezed through traffic. Her mind was elsewhere though. The words Ronnie Anne said played in her head repeatedly like an ear worm. It didn't help that she knew the Hispanic girl was right. Maybe she should've just let her break her arm...the jock knew she deserved it, but because of her rebellious nature she fought back. And now, she couldn't even attend school for most of the week. Lynn supposed that might be the best news she's had so far. She wasn't in the mood to be around anyone.

Looking over at her mother, Rita was absent-minded as she too stared out at traffic. The sport fan's eyes soon gazed at Lily, who held a look of contempt.

"...What?" She asked the baby.

As best as she could, the infant reached over and bopped the jock on the head with her rattle, babbling incoherent words and shaking her toy fiercely. Lynn was confused, but the second the baby shouted 'Wincon', she knew what it was about. She shouldn't have been surprised that Lily was upset at her, yet she was. Might be due to the fact Lily uttered the first word she actually understood, or maybe it was due to the guilt that Lily must be feeling disgusted that she's related to her. Heck, Lily might grow up _hating_ all of her older sisters. That thought alone brought Lynn's depression closer to Lucy's level. But, the rebellious nature of Lynn surfaced again. There was no way in hell she was going to become a dark-seeking self-loathing emo like her roommate (no offense to her). Somehow, some way, she was gonna try to make things right.

The jock poked her mother's shoulder. "Mom?"

"Hmm?" Rita turned her head.

"We're going to the same hospital Lincoln is in, right?"

"Yes, and I don't want you to try anything funny missy..." Rita stated firmly.

"I won't I won't, I...I just want to see him. I want to apologize for what I did...it may not help, but I want to try..." Lynn told her in a soft tone.

Rita looked closer at Lynn's face. The look of regret and sorrow told her the tomboy was telling the truth, but was still edgy. "We'll see after we get you looked at first, alright?"

Lynn gave a nod and gave a small smile. She just hoped Lincoln would forgive her...

* * *

Luan supported her head in one of her hands while she was lazily taking notes in her history class. Like Lynn, she was also stuck in a bout of depression. This morning, she packed up all of her props in boxes and sat them next to Luna's stuff in the garage. Their father was supposed to be moving everything in storage today. This included her best friend and ventriloquist dummy, Mr. Coconuts. The two shared one last joke in private before she laid him to rest. The only good thing about her depression was that it prevented her from cracking any jokes. The comedian wasn't a given a clothing restriction like Lynn and Lola, so she wore her usual attire, but without her flower prop. She also didn't tie her hair up this morning, leaving it to fall down to her mid-back.

Whilst writing, she accidentally applied too much pressure on the point of her pencil, causing it to break. "Dang it..." She muttered. Fishing for her sharpener, she overheard a couple girls talking behind her.

"Did you hear about that fight in cafeteria today?" One of them whispered.

"Yeah. It was between Ronnie Anne and, I think it was that sports girl Lynn Loud." Another stated.

"Who do you think won?" By now, Luan turned her head slightly so she could hear better.

"From what I heard, the principal showed up in the middle of it, but someone said Ronnie Anne smashed Lynn's face into the floor several times. Must've been brutal."

"Oooh I wish I caught it on my phone! It would've got so many hits on EyeTube."

"I even heard Ronnie Anne was about to break Lynn's arm. Wonder what got her jimmies so rustled."

Luan played those words in her head. Ronnie Anne normally didn't have any qualms with Lynn, but if she wanted to break the jock's arm, it must've been for a specific reason. And she knew the answer to that.

"Oh no..." The braced girl buried her head in her arms. If these two girls were talking about it, then it evident the _whole_ school would know about it soon enough. She heard the two girls talk again.

"Someone else said it was about that loser Lincoln Loud. Wonder why she would even care about him."

"Another guy said he swore she said he was her _boyfriend_."

"Like, ew." The two giggled at this.

Now it made sense. Although Luan was a little surprised that Lincoln and Ronnie Anne were _that_ close, she didn't take kindly to those girls offending her brother. Whipping her head around, she glared at them. "Don't, call my brother, a loser..." She spat with venom in her tone.

"And just what are you going to do about it Ms. I'm not even funny?" One of them taunted.

Before Luan could really give them a piece of her mind, the teacher caught the attention of all three. "Is there something worth discussing more than my class, ladies?" He said in a strict tone.

"No..." All 3 replied.

"Then quit the small talk and pay attention. This will be on your test Wednesday."

* * *

Lincoln stared blankly at the TV above him. Being in a hospital, _sucked_. Confined to the bed wouldn't be such a bad thing if he could entertain himself better. Sure, he could watch cartoons on TV, but right now it was just old reruns he had no intention of watching. His body was begging for him to walk around, but the doctor wouldn't let him, stating his pelvis needed to heal first before he could even think about standing up. At least the boy's eye wasn't as swollen today, and even his mouth was feeling better.

Lincoln winced in pain a little as he felt himself use the bathroom. He watched as the tube connected to his nether region filled with yellow liquid waste, which emptied into a waste container at the side of the bed. He required help if he needed to, void his bowels, something he was embarrassed about. Thankfully that wasn't the case, as a nurse assisted him an hour ago with that endeavor. That was the other thing that sucked about being in the condition he was in.

"Maybe I can ask mom if she can bring me some of my comics." He thought aloud.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. The boy looked over, thinking it was his mother and baby sister, but instead he got a surprise visitor. Ronnie Anne poked her head in through the crack.

"R-Ronnie Anne?" He asked clearly surprised.

The Hispanic girl didn't say anything, but the look of shock and horror on her face said it all. She knew about his broken arm, but the other injuries...it was beginning to be too much for her. She covered her mouth to prevent a gasp from escaping as fresh tears started to crop up again.

 _"Don't cry...please...not in front of him..."_ She begged in her mind, but she couldn't help herself.

Lincoln was taken aback by this. He never saw Ronnie Anne cry before. If any indication, sometimes she wouldn't let him help her even if she accidentally injured herself. The girl rushed over to him and hugged as tight as she could, being careful not to hurt him. The middle child of his family was taken out of his shock when he realized he was being hugged, and did the best he could to return it.

Mrs. Santiago was watching from window in the hallway, very touched by the scene. She then heard a set of footsteps coming, and was a little surprised to see Rita approaching with her two children. The jock had a bandage over her nose as well as gauze in her mouth to soak up the blood that been pooling in there. However, looking between them and the couple in the room, it didn't take a genius to know what may happen if Lynn and Ronnie Anne saw each other right now. Thinking quick, Mrs. Santiago approached them.

"Um, Rita? I know it's not my place to say this to a mother visiting his son, but it's definitely not a good idea for Lynn to be here right now."

The mother of 11 was confused before noticing Ronnie Anne's absence. She caught on very quickly. "Right...sorry Lynn but you're gonna have to wait before you can see your brother..."

"What? Why? I want to see if he's doing ok." Lynn protested.

"I know dear, but I'm more worried that you and Ronnie Anne might end up getting yourselves admitted to the hospital if you both are in the same room..." Rita explained.

Lynn wanted to argue, but she knew her mother was right. "Ok..." The jock complied. "I'll...just sit in the waiting room..." She added before sulking away.

Both mothers looked in sadness. Even Lily, who was still angry at Lynn, understood her pain.

* * *

As the hours passed, Clyde was anxious for the final bell to ring. He needed to get some answers on what happened with his best friend, and he knew exactly who to speak with. He doubted Lola and Lana would be of any help, if he did find them that is. The boy rarely saw the twins after school was finished. Clyde agreed to meet with Haiku and Polly by the tree out in the school yard when the day was done, and that's where he set off to while everyone else was stampeding towards the buses of freedom.

Upon reaching the spot, it seemed he was the last person to arrive. Polly and Haiku were there, but so was Tabby, Rusty, and Liam. Clyde figured they ran into them at point and spread the news, so he didn't bother asking.

"Ok guys, I'm pretty certain Lola and Lana are on the bus right now, so we can't ask them. Lucy might still be in the school somewhere, but I have no clue where she is." Clyde explained.

"I think I may know. If I'm correct, she'll be in the ventilation close to the drama class. That's where we usually meet after school." Haiku told them, still lacking any emotion.

"SO, are you guys super sure this is why Lincoln didn't show up today?" Rusty asked.

"I'm not so sure myself, but Ronnie Anne sounded like she knew what she was talking about, and her and Lynn usually get along just fine." The African-American explained.

"From what I heard, they both got suspended too." Tabby informed.

"Well then, what are we standing here for? Let's go find Lucy and shed some light on this murder case!" Polly cheered, though she got odd glances from the others. "Too soon?"

"Normally I'm one for murder mysteries, but that was a bit uncalled for." Haiku told her.

Once the halls had been cleared out, the group made their way to the hall the drama classes were in. They passed the cafeteria, noticing a janitor cleaning some red substance off the floor. No doubt it was Lynn's blood. Clyde and Polly grimaced while Haiku looked indifferent. Continuing on, Haiku suddenly stopped at a certain vent in the ceiling.

"So she's in there?" Liam asked.

"One way to find out. Find a broom." The goth instructed.

Normally, one wouldn't even think about hiding in the school's vent system. It was dark, dirty, dusty, filled with cob webs, and just plain cramped. But for Lucy, it was the perfect place to escape the light, as well as express her pain in solitude. Since she didn't have her journal with her, this menial task became a chore. But, she made due by using her finger to inscribe a poem about her current thoughts on the dusty surface. Looking at a family photo she had with her, her eyes could only stare at the one boy of the entire family. The one person whom she was close to, and now he was paying the price for her lack of compassion. Since yesterday, Lucy kept more to herself than usual, to the point even Haiku had trouble finding out where she was. Or so she thought.

The vent vibrated as something tapped the grate close to her.

"You in there Lucy?" Haiku asked.

Crawling over, she peaked through the grate and saw not only her goth friend, but Clyde, Rusty, and a few others she didn't know. The depressed girl gave an audible sigh before removing the grate and climbing out. Like Haiku said earlier, Lucy's eyes were completely visible thanks to the head band she wore. Her emerald green eyes were red not only from crying, but also lack of sleep.

"You ok Lucy?" Clyde asked. The goth just looked at him with a slightly irritated look. "Sorry, stupid question. We're all here because Ronnie Anne said Lincoln was in the hospital. Lynn said something about it too before they got into a fight and were suspended for it. You don't have to say much, we just want to know...is it true?"

Lucy avoided their gazes. "Sigh. I heard about it too. What Lynn and Ronnie Anne said is true. My brother...my dear brother...he's in the hospital thanks to me, Lynn, Lori, Leni, Luan, Luna, the twins, and even Lisa. _All_ of us are to blame except for Lily..."

The rest were shocked by this. Even Haiku gave a visible sign of emotion by letting her eyes widen. "But...why? I thought Lincoln wanted to help you guys resolve whatever you were fighting about." Clyde questioned.

"He did, but we managed to fix it on our own when he left...I...I don't want to recall what happened, but if I don't..." Lucy began to cry.

Polly put a comforting hang on her shoulder. "Don't worry Luce. We're here for ya."

After some hesitation, Lucy continued. "We...we pretty much told him not to get involved in our fighting as we thought we could handle it. Everything was going fine, but then Lincoln accidentally told of some secrets we had about each other...this prompted another argument, but before it became physical...we..." Her voice was getting heavy. "We realized Lincoln was indirectly the cause of our fighting...he tried to run, but we caught up to him and...and..." She couldn't say more. It was too painful remembering the heinous act she and her 8 siblings committed. Lucy broke down in front of everyone at that moment.

Looks of pity surrounded her. Clyde felt some guilt in asking her, thinking it would've been better to ask the twins. However, they may have gotten the same response. The truth hurts, but at least, everyone knew what happened. Now that Clyde thought about it, Lynn also looked depressed today, hinting it was possible all of the sisters responsible were going through the same thing. He wanted to help, any way he could, and that's when it came to him. Good thing Clyde always kept his therapist's phone number on speed dial.

 **A/N: And done. The truth does indeed hurt, but only from knowing can one help in recovery. Might feel repetitive that Ronnie Anne has her hair stroked while she's upset, but I believe that's one way to help soothe her. I was thinking about having another fight between Ronnie Anne and Lynn, but decided they've had enough, for now. In the next chapter, Lynn will be the first of the guilty sisters to see her brother (in total it's only been a day), and she'll be in for a rude awakening.**


	6. The Fear Is Real

**A/N: Hello guys, welcome to chapter 6. In this very chapter, the middle child of the Loud Family will finally come into contact with one of his sisters responsible for his condition. How will he react? How will Lynn react? And what will everyone else think about the encounter? Should be interesting if I set it up properly.**

 **Also, a note to Mr. Noname. While I appreciate your interest in my story, you need to stop nitpicking sentences you think have grammar 'errors'. I proofread all of my chapters before they are published (sometimes going over it twice in case I want to change something), and those errors you picked are fine the way they are. People do talk like that in real life and that's what I'm imitating. I'm not writing a term paper, so you need to stop acting like you're my English teacher. I would've told you this in PM, but because you lack an actual account, this is the only way I can tell you.**

 **Now, without any delay, let's get on with it!**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

After spending a few minutes hugging each other, Ronnie Anne finally released her boyfriend. "I know Lynn said she broke your arm...but I didn't expect...this..."

"It's...it's not that bad Ronnie Anne." Lincoln replied, trying to calm her.

"Not that bad?..." She whispered. " _NOT THAT BAD_?! LOOK AT YOURSELF LAME-O! YOU HAVE BANDAGES ON YOUR HEAD AND CHEST! SOME OF YOUR TEETH ARE GONE, AND THERE'S EVEN A TUBE CONNECTED TO GOD KNOWS WHAT DOWN THERE!" The Hispanic girl shouted, making the white-haired boy wince. "I swear, if I see any of your so-called 'sisters', I'm going to...I'm going to...GRR! I'm so angry right now, I can't think of a proper death threat!" She slammed her fists on the bed, causing the boy to jump a little. Her breathing was heavy, trying to vent out the overwhelming amount of frustration that was caged within.

Lincoln looked at his distressed girlfriend in worry. He was used to her being angry, but not when her level of aggression was up to 11. However, he was indifferent to the threats she was making to his sisters. Part of him felt they deserved such retribution, but the kinder side of him didn't wish them to face Ronnie Anne's wrath. To further complicate this, he heard his parents talking about the punishments his siblings received last night. One side felt it was enough, while the other wanted something more; some kind of revenge to really make it clear just how much his sisters' selfishness hurt him. The more he thought about it, the more he felt a migraine coming on.

The white-haired boy shook his head to rid himself of such thoughts. Ronnie Anne was still enraged, and he needed to snap her out of her little 'episode'. "Ronnie Anne..." The tomboy didn't respond. "Ronnie Anne, look at me..." Still no response. " _Please_?..." He was practically begging at this point. Finally, the brunette turned her head, still holding onto that glare. "I know your mad right now, but...I'm just not sure if more violence is going to solve anything. From what I heard, my parents are already on top of everything, and I don't think they would like another one of their kids visiting the ER..." He explained, hoping that reasoning would soothe her.

In her mind, Ronnie Anne couldn't believe what she was hearing. Even after getting sent to the clinic, he still held some level of compassion for his siblings. The girl would probably never understand why Lincoln wasn't angry, but she wished he grew a spine and stood up for himself. Ironically...this was one of his traits that she oddly found attractive, and it gave them a chance to be together. He could have easily told her off the first time she met him in front of his house. But instead, he kissed her (ironically after his sisters convinced him she liked him). She still felt bad for punching him the face for it. Then, before they officially started dating in secret, that day he insulted her at school and later at Jean Juan's French Mex, he never did mean to cause her harm. The boy was just put on the spot by his friends and panicked. After all, she did get some enjoyment with making it seem like she dumped him the very next day (at least to prevent further teasing).

The tomboy sighed, returning to her mellow state. "I'm sorry Lincoln...it's just that...I just wish I could've been there...if I was, I would've been able to at least do _something_...instead I was at home playing some stupid game..."

The boy placed his hand on her arm, giving her a small smile. "It's ok Ronnie Anne. You didn't know what was going on...and speaking of which, how did you find out?"

"Bobby told me everything...and I ended up telling Clyde, so don't be surprised if he shows up."

"Does anyone else know?" He asked.

"Well, your mom asked the principal to spread the word that you'll be out of school for a while."

Lincoln wasn't too surprised at that. His teachers would've wound up asking the same question. However, something didn't seem right. The boy replayed the last sentence Ronnie Anne said in his mind. "Wait, did you get sent to principal's office?"

Ronnie Anne slowly nodded. "I...got into a fight with Lynn...both of us are suspended for a few days now..." She smiled sheepishly, showing that she was missing a tooth. The boy started to laugh. "What's so funny?"

"You look kinda cute with your missing tooth." Lincoln chuckled, before giving a small cough.

"You dork." She playfully punched his good arm.

Someone knocked on the door. Turning their heads, Mrs. Santiago poked her head in. "Hija. I know you want to spend more time with your friend, but mommy needs to head back to work."

"Dang it..." Ronnie Anne muttered.

"Promise you'll visit again?" Lincoln asked his girlfriend.

"You can bet on it."

Leaning up, Ronnie Anne pecked him on the lips before departing with her mother, leaving a very flushed Lincoln Loud.

* * *

Lynn sat in one of the chairs of the waiting room, her head propped up with one arm. She was bored out of her mind, and her patience was beginning to run dry. In any other circumstance, the sports fanatic wasn't one to sit around for _anything_. If she wanted something done, she'd just do it without much thought behind it. As a result, time had proven to her that you can't always get what you want immediately. Such was the case when she had to wait behind a long line for the ladies room at a rest stop. Given that lines to the bathroom were common in the Loud House, you'd think she'd be used to it. But unfortunately for Lynn, she just _had_ to drink that extra large soda. The only difference between then and now was that she didn't need to pee. Ronnie Anne was still speaking with her little brother, and Lynn had to respect her mother's wish to avoid another confrontation. Thankfully, she wouldn't have to wait for much longer.

A set of footsteps echoed through the hall, causing the jock the glance toward the sound. Seeing her mother approaching, Lynn sat up straight.

"Ok dear. Mrs. Santiago and Ronnie Anne just left. Ready to see your brother?" Rita asked.

Lynn gave a nod before following. As they approached Lincoln's room, the 13 year old couldn't help but feel nervous. No doubt Lincoln would be upset with her, along with the rest of her other 8 siblings. What if, even after she apologized, he didn't forgive her? What if he even refused to _speak_ with her? The girl braced herself for that possibility.

 _"I'm not a bully...I'm not a bully..."_ Lynn played this line in her head repeatedly. Even if he didn't want her around, she still wanted to let him know that she felt horrible for her actions against him.

Rita knocked on the door upon arrival. "Lincoln? You have another visitor." She said calmly, though Lynn was less than calm.

Taking a deep breath, Lynn tried to relax her body. _"Ok, here goes nothing. Just go in, let him know bad you feel, and try to make it up to him..."_ She thought to herself.

Once the door fully opened, Lynn stepped through, coming within full sight of her brother. Like Ronnie Anne, the jock was surprised by the amount of bandages that covered the boy. Even though she got a full description from her father about his injuries, it pained her to see them for herself. The jock cast a look filled with guilt at the cast that adorned her brother's left arm, wishing to have never brought such pain to him. But what Lynn didn't know, was the inner turmoil that was brewing inside the middle child.

The second Lynn came within his sight, time seemed to slow to a crawl around Lincoln. His mouth ran dry, his pupils retracted, knots formed in his stomach, and the ticking of the clock on the wall suddenly made itself known. His heart rate spiked for a brief moment, even showing up on the heart monitor, but this went unnoticed by everyone else. All of the room's occupants felt a shiver in their spines as the tension made their blood flow slow down.

 _"Why...why is she here?"_ Lincoln thought to himself. Did Lynn arrive just to mock him, or worse, finish what his sisters started?

"...H-Hey bro." Lynn started uneasily.

"...Hey..." Lincoln replied.

Lynn looked to her mother for encouragement, who gestured her to keep going. She took a deep breath and slowly approached him. "Lincoln...I'm really, _really_ sorry about putting you here...I should've recognized that you were in pain and wanted us to stop...instead, we just...we just kept hitting you, taking our own frustration out on the _only_ brother we'll have in a lifetime..." By now, she was halfway towards his bed, fresh tears beginning to form in her eyes.

Unbeknowst to her, the heart monitor was starting to beep faster. "...T-The reason you have a broken arm...I'm the one who did it! I should've known better than to hurt you like that, but I just couldn't stop myself!" Lynn was beginning to cry now, her guilt spilling over with each word. Memories of past sparring matches and the occasional threat of a pummeling came to her mind.

Each step she took, the frequency of the beeps increased, yet the jock still hadn't noticed it."I promised myself I would always protect you...yet how can I even call myself your _sister_ when I all do is take advantage of you?!...I'm no better than a stupid bully, and if you think that of me, you have every right to feel that way..." Lynn sniffled. She finally reached the bed, gripping the ledge softly.

The heart monitor's pings increased to a point it was the loudest thing in the room. Rita and Lily took notice, seeing as how this had occurred when Lincoln tried (unsuccessfully) to get some rest. "Lynn, sweetie? I think you should back away from your brother..."

Lynn didn't hear her. She stared at the floor, watching as her tears dripped off her chin. "I just want you to know...I want to make it up to you...you'll be out of here at some point, and I want to spend all the time I can being a _real_ sister...not the idiot I've been up til now..." As she finished, she finally heard the monitor, casting a confused glance at it.

Unfortunately, while Lynn was pouring her heart out, Lincoln was stuck in a state of ever-lasting fear. His sister's pleas fell on deaf ears, his mind racing. As Lynn got closer to him, his heart rate skyrocketed while he subconsciously moved as much as he could to the opposite side of the bed. He wanted to run away, he really did. He hated how he still couldn't get out of the bed without hurting himself. Memories of the constant abuse he took from her flooded his mind, and soon one of his nightmares came forth. The boy remembered it clear as day. Lynn had apologized, even hugging him out of remorse, but this proved to be a hoax. When Lynn hugged him, she tightened her grip to the point he couldn't breathe. He begged her to let him go, but all he got in return was the scariest evil grin he could imagine. The jock just kept hugging him tighter and tighter, until his spine and ribs finally gave out from the pressure.

When Lynn was right next to the bed, his heart was practically ready to jump out of his chest and run for the hills. He didn't know what Lynn was going to do next, but then he finally heard her. "You ok bro?" Lynn asked, genuinely worried. Lincoln could've swore she even looked like she wanted to hug him right now.

 _"No...not this time...not this again!..."_ That thought ran through the boy's mind like a freight train.

"Lynn, give him some space. He's still shaky about everything." Rita told her.

While the 13 year old was distracted, Lincoln quietly reached over to the small desk next to his bed. On it was his lunch tray, now empty and messy from his earlier feeding. He gripped it tightly in his hand.

Lynn looked at her mother for a brief second when she spoke, and she turned to look at her brother again, she wished she took Rita's advice immediately.

 _POP!_

That was what Lynn heard as her vision went white for a moment; something hard colliding with her face. The impact nearly floored her, but she managed to put her hands out just in time to stop her face from slamming into the tile. Her cheek stung, fresh blood flowing out of her mouth due to one of her gauze sponges being knocked out. Looking back in great surprise, Lynn saw Lincoln breathing heavily with a plastic lunch tray in his hand. The tray itself was broken in half after being used as a weapon.

"L-L-Lincoln..." Lynn managed to say.

"Just stay away from me Lynn...I...I don't want to have to hurt you again..." Lincoln told her, the fear ever present in his voice. It seemed only now the boy was aware of his uneven breaths.

Lynn sat there for a few seconds. She brought a hand to her mouth when she realized she was bleeding again. Looking between her hand and Lincoln, it dawned to her what happened, and that Lincoln made his choice. He wasn't just upset, he _hated_ her. That single thought made more tears run down Lynn's face before she bolted out of the room and down the hall, her soft sobs echoing in the hall.

Rita and Lily just stood there, mouths agape, at what just transpired. The mother knew Lincoln would get uncomfortable around his other sisters, but this was _completely_ unlike anything she had imagined. Lincoln laid back on his bed, dropping the broken tray as he did so; his heavy breaths and the heart monitor's decreasing pings a sign he was trying to calm himself. Normally, she would've been angry with him for lashing out in such a way to his sister when she was trying to apologize, but the matriarch had a feeling something else was wrong. Rita didn't have time to dwell on this fact, as she needed to track down her distraught daughter.

* * *

Lynn Sr. panted as leaned against Vanzilla. He spent much of the day moving his daughters' prized possessions into a storage room big enough to fit it all. What he hadn't realized was how heavy all of it was. He would've asked for assistance, but no one else was around (besides the desk clerk). He stared at the locked door in regret. Those items made his children stand out among each other, and everyone else. Though Lynn had to be honest with himself: his daughters had a bad habit of getting too much of everything.

For example, Luna's speakers (the heaviest of all the stuff moved), could be heard in the whole house with only 2 of them. Yet she had about _20_ from what the patriarch noted. Luan's props were also numerous, though he supposed she deserved a pass since comedy is particularly hard to master. You could say the same for Lola and Lynn Jr. since the former was a well-known beauty pageant winner, and the latter played dozens of sports. However, Lynn Sr. did agree that Lana had too many reptiles.

The father of 11 heard his phone ring in the car. Opening the door, he eyed the called ID, seeing it was his wife. "Hey honey."

"Hey Lynn...I need you to come pick us up at the hospital..."

"Something happen?"

"...I think it's best if I tell you when you get here..." Rita told him.

"Alright. I'll be there soon. Just finished moving everything into storage." He put the keys into the ignition and tried to start the van up. The engine choked but wouldn't fully start. "Oh come on!" He turned the keys a 3rd time. The machine whined as the ancient engine finally sprung back to life. Lynn Sr. sighed. He liked Vanzilla, he really did. After all, it had been passed to down to him from his dad, and his grandfather. One day he hoped to pass it on to Lincoln. But now that he thought about it, the car was roughly 40 years old, and its age showed every day. In fact, it seemed almost every week the van broke down while someone was using it.

"Maybe it's time I get a new van..." He muttered.

Thankfully, the van kept its act together during the whole trip. When he got to the hospital, Rita and Lily were waiting, along with Lynn Jr. The father was surprised to see Lynn, as well as the fact she appeared to be somewhat hurt physically, and broken emotionally. Rita strapped Lily into her baby seat, with the jock climbing in soon after. Lynn Jr. brought her knees up to her face and continued to cry in silence. Lily looked at her sister in worry, even taking her pacifier out of her mouth and offering it to the sports fanatic. Instead, she got no response and slowly popped it back in.

"So what happened?" Lynn Sr. asked as his wife strapped herself in.

"For starters...Lynn Jr. got attacked by Ronnie Anne and both are suspended til Friday... "

"She's one of Lincoln's friends right?"

"Yeah...Lynn had some of her teeth knocked out, so I brought her with me to the hospital. She wanted to make amends with Lincoln, but...it...it didn't go well...at all..."

"What do you mean?" The father asked.

"He smacked her with his food tray Lynn...she was apologizing to him, he got uncomfortable when she got close to him, and he just took his tray, and hit her in the face...now Junior thinks her brother hates her..."

"Geez..." The father grimaced.

"I'm worried Lynn. I want our daughters to make amends with Lincoln too, but I'm afraid he might act the same way he did with Junior, or _worse_..." Rita explained, her distress very clear.

"Do you think a doctor might be able to figure out what's wrong?"

"I _pray_ that one does...otherwise...otherwise I just don't know what we're going to do..."

* * *

Clyde sat in the back of his family's car, staring at the houses that passed by his window. Both of his dads were in the front seats. The McBride family was going to visit a certain someone at the hospital before visiting hours were done, but Clyde wanted to stop by the Loud House first. He knew being stuck in a hospital could get boring, and he wasn't sure if Lincoln had something to keep himself occupied. As his best friend, the boy knew Lincoln could never say no to Ace Savvy. After telling the whole story to his parents, Clyde was bringing the comics he owned, as well as those Lincoln had to help him feel better.

The African-American child was rather surprised when Harold stated they arrived. Usually, the noise from the house could be heard a few blocks away, living up to the name. But now, it was eerily quiet. Vanzilla was parked in the driveway, the lights were on, so someone had to be home.

"Thanks dad. I'll only be a few minutes." Clyde said as he got out.

"Be careful dear! You have your inhaler with you right?" Howard asked with worry. Clyde pulled it out of his pocket for a brief moment before stowing it.

The boy walked up to the door and knocked. He would've used the door bell, but he grimly remembered the last time that happened. After a few moments of waiting, Clyde heard footsteps inside the house before the door swung open, revealing Luna. Instead of her normal, cheery self, the rocker was quite moody and depressed. She wasn't even in her usual attire, just a plain white shirt and baggy pants.

"Hey Clyde..." She stated.

"Hey Luna." He shifted a little. "Um...this is kinda hard to say...I know what happened around here yesterday, but I'm not here to badger you about it. I just want to know if I can grab some of Lincoln's comics from his room."

"Go ahead...no one's been in his room, or will be for that matter..." Luna told him dejectedly before going upstairs.

Clyde thanked her before stepping into the house. Looking around, he spotted Lola sleeping on the coach. Instead of a princess gown and tiara, she was wearing a plain blue T-shirt with white pants. Aside from that, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He just couldn't believe how quiet it was. The boy could even hear Luan writing something in the dining room. Peaking in, he saw she seemed just as moody as Luna; her hair was still down, and he was sure she wasn't thinking of any jokes due to the fact he could see her math book on the table. Lisa was there too, trying to help her understand a few equations. The brains of the family didn't seem to change all that much. The two gave him a quick glance before resuming their activity.

Going up the stairs, he was now in the epicenter of where the loudest sounds of the house always originate. But now, it was so quiet it felt like a ghost town. It actually unnerved Clyde a bit. Looking around the hall, Lori and Leni's room was closed, though Luna and Luan's door was slightly ajar. He peeked in, and noticed the lack of music equipment and speakers. He never realized how big the room actually was. It just seemed kinda cramped with the large speakers and Luan's props scattered about the place. Luna was in her bunk, earphones plugged in as she tuned out everything around her, listening to a song Clyde couldn't make out.

Quietly placing the door back to its original position, he walked towards Lincoln's room, taking note of the other rooms when he could. Lynn and Lucy's room was closed, though he heard someone crying behind the door. In the twin's room, Clyde immediately noticed the lack of exotic reptiles, and a heartbroken Lana sitting on her bed with a photo in her hands. On Lola's side, plastic had been taped to the mirrors hung on the walls. Whether that was the parents doing or the princess' own was up for debate. In Lisa and Lily's room, the light was off, though the door was also ajar. Lily was asleep in her crib, but Clyde could see that Lisa's extensive chemistry set was gone. It was as if it had never been there in the first place.

"Man...talk about epic grounding..." The boy muttered to himself.

Upon reaching the converted linen closet, Clyde slowly opened the door and turned on the light. Nothing had changed from when he was last in there. The bed was a little messy, some clothes hung here and there, a few scrapes of trash on the floor, and Lincoln's computer sat on his desk. Next to the laptop, stacked neatly in a pile and covered in a plastic freezer bag, was the white-haired boy's collection of Ace Savvy comics.

"Still fresh. Definitely Lincoln's style." Clyde noted, grabbing the bag before making his way back down the stairs. He bid the sisters goodbye before exiting.

Harold noted the look on his son's face when he stepped into the car. "You alright Clyde? Something happen?"

"No, I'm fine. It's just, everything seems so different now. They might have to call the Loud House, the _Quiet_ House." Luan would approve of that joke.

"Oh dear. You're not going to have another fear about change are you?" Howard asked.

"No dad, but I'm just worried."

"Well, you did say those ruffians got their punishment. It might be for the best." Harold noted.

"Maybe for most, but probably not for the Louds..." Clyde stated, casting a sad glance at the Loud house through the rear window.

 **A/N: I think I wrote that out nicely. I was thinking of stopping it right after Lynn ran out the room, but decided to keep going. I'd say Lincoln's reaction was appropriate, but it does bring into question whether his other siblings will dare a visit. They might, which would enforce the point that something is clearly wrong.**


	7. A Flicker Of Hope

**A/N: Apologies for the delay of chapter 7. Life continues to dictate that I remain more active with my studies, but I manage to set aside time for my story. Also, I needed to get my mojo going as I didn't have the inspiration to think clearly on the next chapter. But hopefully, it would've been worth the wait. I really want to get this story chugging along, so I believe a small time skip is due. But first, let's look at Clyde's visit, shall we?**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

Lincoln continued to stare at the ceiling, his body dull and mind stuck on a single train of thought. He didn't know how long it's been, but he knows he hadn't moved at all after his mother and infant sister left the room to chase after Lynn. About a half hour later, a nurse came to check on him. She noticed the broken tray on the floor along with pieces of it scattered about. When asked what happened, Lincoln was too afraid to tell her the truth. Instead, he stated he accidentally made it fall off the desk when he reached over for it. The nursed looked at him oddly, not believing the story for a moment, but decided not to question him further. After that, the Loud boy was left alone with his thoughts.

He just couldn't believe it, he really couldn't. Never before in his life had he struck _any_ of his sisters in the fashion he did earlier. Immediately after the hit, Lincoln realized what he did, and recoiled in fear as he thought Lynn might jump him and put him a coma when she came to her senses. Instead, she sat on a floor, a genuinely hurt look in her eyes. Her voice even trembled as if it was about to break. Lincoln affirmed himself on what he did, but he meant every word when he said he didn't want to hurt Lynn again. He was a lover, through and through. When the 13 year old fled, the boy was initially glad Lynn left, but the more he thought it over, the more the guilt set in.

"Maybe...maybe I overreacted...m-maybe she wasn't trying to hurt me..." That's what Lincoln thought initially. But soon, memories of the severe beating he received a day ago became the front page of his mind. Then came the instances Lynn had feigned innocence only to prank him or just generally wrestle (harshly) with him, not really caring if he suffered a bruise from the ordeal. The resulting paranoia renewed doubts about his sister. "Or maybe she was just upset initially, and she'll come back and beat me like a Cherokee drum! Or worse, _all_ of them will!" Lincoln gripped the bed sheets tightly as he quaked with apprehension.

He imagined Lynn telling the rest of his non-infant sisters about what he did. They would be upset with him more than they already were on Sunday, and what would stop them from just marching down to the hospital to tear him limb from limb? The boy doubted a simple grounding would stop their rage. A sudden knock at the door caused him to yelp a bit. Turning his head, he glanced at the gray metal obiect that separated his room from the hallway, or in this case, his only shield. He also heard what sounded like someone falling to the floor.

"Y-Yes?" He squeaked, holding his breath.

"Mr. Loud?" It was his nurse. "You have another visitor."

Lincoln wasn't in the mood for another visit, fearful it might be another of his sisters, but he was too petrified to say anything. Fortunately, his fears were put at ease for the time being when the door revealed none other than his best friend, Clyde. Like Ronnie Anne, the African-American child was surprised at the state Lincoln was in. It definitely explained why the sisters were so mellow: they practically damn near killed their only brother. The nerd stumbled a little, trying not to faint. He had to be strong for his best friend, and passing out might scare him more than he already looked.

"I knew what I heard was bad, but still..." Clyde finally spoke.

"R-Ronnie Anne said the same thing when she dropped by...she said she told you everything, so she figured you come...so how are you holding up Clyde?" Lincoln asked.

"I should be asking you that. I mean, look at you!" Clyde said wide eyed, though he winced upon seeing his friend give a sorrowful glance at his body. "Poor choice of words..." He muttered. "Sorry about that, but really, are you doing ok?"

"Well, n-not exactly...I mean...I guess you could say that..." The white-haired boy replied hesitantly.

The nerd could already tell something was troubling Lincoln. Given what he knew, and his constant sessions with Dr. Lopez, he a feeling it concerned his sisters. But, Clyde knew better than to question about such a thing. Like his therapist told him, the client will say what's on their mind when they feel ready. And he hoped to distract the Loud boy from his current situation.

"Then fear not, cause a brought you a present!" Clyde stated, presenting the collection of Ace Savvy comics.

Lincoln perked up instantly. He practically drooled just from making eye contact. "How did you know I was thinking about Ace Savvy?!"

"Cause I'm your brother, Lincoln. Well, not relatively speaking but you get my point. And trust me, I know being stuck in a hospital can get boring. Remember that time I tried doing a triple back flip on a skateboard and shattered my leg?"

"Yeah. You spent nearly 2 weeks here before they let you go. And even then you were stuck with crutches."

"Those were the most _boring_ 288 hours of my life. But thankfully, my dads brought over a few puzzle games to pass the time. Also, it was tax day, so we were plenty occupied."

"Cool. Speaking of which, where are your dads?"

"Uh...one of them fainted after seeing you through the window, so my other dad had pulled him back to the waiting area." Clyde said embarrassingly.

"Oh...well, thanks for the comics Clyde. It really sucks not being able to move or anything. Want to read with me?"

"You think I'd have it any other way?" The African boy smirked. He dug through the bag and pulled out a certain stack of issues. "Also, I brought yours over after visiting your house."

"M-My house?" Lincoln questioned, his paranoia beginning to set in again.

"Dang it..." Clyde muttered. "Uuuuuh yeah. Sorry to bring it up, but I figured it'd cheer you up if you had your set of issues to read."

Lincoln was happy his friend cared that much about him to have that amount of foresight, but he couldn't help but think about what was happening at home. "How...how's e-everyone?"

"Well..." Clyde looked at the floor uneasily. "It's...different to say the least. It's not Loud or anything, just oddly quiet and gloomy. I think Lucy might like it, but I doubt it considering how depressed she was at school...well, more than usual."

"That's...nice, I guess..." Lincoln replied, unsure of how to take the news.

Clyde detected his buddy's nervousness and was quick to change the subject. "Just don't think too much about it Lincoln. Let's just let our minds be absorbed into the world of Ace Savvy." He suggested, handing the bed-ridden boy a comic.

"I-I guess you're right." Lincoln agreed, setting the issue on his bed before flipping it open. Suddenly, a thought came to him that made him irate. "Dang it! New issues will come out on Wednesday for the next few weeks, and I don't know if I'll be out of here by then!"

"Not a problem. I'll just grab some copies before coming over to visit."

"Really Clyde, you're the best bro ever." Lincoln complimented, making the nerd chuckle a bit.

* * *

Lucy stepped out of the bathroom after having done her business on the toilet. It was the first thing she did after getting home a couple hours after everyone else, mainly due to a drama class group project that needed to be done. Also, the goth wasn't comfortable using the school toilets, knowing how dirty they were and how much the bathrooms stink. Picking up her backpack, she waltzed over to the room she shared with Lynn and turned the knob, expecting it to open. Instead, she was met with resistance as the knob refused to turn. Getting confused, the goth jiggled the handle a bit, accidentally taking the whole thing off in the process.

"Dang it..." She muttered, dropping the now useless handle. As much as Lucy liked her family's old, decrepit house, something really needed to be done about the door handles breaking. Last time when a tornado passed through, Lynn Sr. accidentally broke the front door handle off. Long story short, they had to get an entirely new door after Lynn finally managed to knock it off its hinges. Speaking of which, Lucy heard faint sounds on the other side of the door. Putting an ear up, she heard her roommate's small cries. Considering that Lynn rarely sheds a tear, something serious must've happened.

The goth walked back to the bathroom, using the oval office as a step ladder before pulling herself into the familiar ventilation of the Loud House. Lana may be the Queen of Plumbing, but if there was anyone who knew these vents inside and out, it was Lucy, so it didn't long for her to find the intake that lead into her and Lynn's room. Pushing the grate open, the goth found her sports loving sister lying on her side whilst cuddling a pillow. The pillow was being used to muffle her sobs, but even so, the quietness of the house still made them audible at range. One quick look around the room showed it was the same as Luan and Luna's room: more spacious and only containing room necessities like the bed and dresses. You could even see the clothes Lynn had in her closet. Technically, Lucy's own bed was bought to suit her dark and gloomy personality. Other obiects that encouraged this were thrown out (which, sadly, included her bust of Edwin). However, since this was the only bed she had, Lucy supposed she got lucky in that sense.

Climbing down onto the roof of her bed, Lucy carefully slipped onto the floor. "What's the matter Lynn?"

The jock was startled by her sister's presence. "Now isn't a good time for scaring me Lucy..." Lynn told her, casting an irate look at the goth. Lucy could see some of the damage Lynn had from her fight earlier that day, but something told her she that's not what she was crying about.

Lucy wanted to argue that the 13 year old could've noticed her coming out the vent, but decided to let it slide. "Sorry...but really, what's troubling you? You hardly ever cry..."

Lynn looked at the floor in sorrow. "I...I don't really feel like talking about it..."

"Lynn..." Lucy put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I can see the sadness inside you is eating your soul. I understand that you locked the door because you didn't want anyone to see you like this, but as your roommate, I am always here for you..." Lucy spoke without her monotonous voice, showing she was being sincere.

This alone spooked the jock, who knew Lucy more than anyone else (besides Lincoln). She looked unsure for a moment, before she finally decided to open up. "Ok...I'll tell you..." She sniffled. "You know about the fight between me and Ronnie Anne?..."

"I heard...I'm guessing you were suspended?"

She nodded. "Mom took me to the hospital to fix me up...and since Lincoln was there, I...I wanted to make amends with him. I wanted to do something, _anything_ , to try to make it up to him...but instead he...he..." Lynn wiped her eyes of fresh tears. "He hit me with his food tray!..."

Lucy's eyes became the size of dinner plates as she let out a gasp. "He...he actually hit you?..."

Lynn nodded, pointing to where her face had been temporarily married to the tray. Although the mark was barely visible, a small red spot was still in its place. "...I just wanted to apologize...I know it couldn't undo the damage, but it was still a step in the right direction...but...it's too late now...my only brother _hates_ me..." The jock buried her face into her knees. "I really am a bully..." She muffled out.

Lucy let this information sink in for a moment. She didn't want to believe that Lincoln actually hated anyone. He would at most _despise_ a few of his siblings due to their annoying habits. Hell, his sisters didn't like some of his habits as well, but actual _hate_ was something that no one in the family ever felt towards each other. The kids always pulled together even when tensions were high in normal circumstances. But, as Lucy then considered, Sunday was anything _but_ normal. No doubt their actions may have convinced Lincoln that they cared little about him. But given the general mood of the entire house, everyone did still care for him, even if they didn't show it much before.

The goth climbed up onto Lynn's bed, wrapping her arms around her older sister. "I'm really, really sorry that happened Lynn...but you still love him, don't you?"

The sports fanatic nodded. "But how am I supposed to show it if he's going to hate me regardless? I _broke his arm_ Lucy...that's not something that can be forgiven easily..."

"Well...I...I don't know..." Lucy was a little stumped on this. How _would_ they make it up to their brother? It's not like giving him a 'get well' card would fix the world of crap they currently inhabit. But, in this instance, the two girls were lucky to have a large family.

"Does anyone else know yet?" The goth asked.

"No...that's why I locked the door..." Lynn lied back on her bed.

"...If it's fine with you, I think we should have an emergency sister meeting...we can't just sit here and do nothing wallowing in sadness..." Lucy looked around. "Even if I do like the darkness and silence, it's too creepy with everyone feeling the same way..."

The jock glanced at her younger sibling. "I guess...but what if we got no ideas?"

"Better than sitting here and letting you mope, because that's _my_ thing..." Lucy stated, her monotonous voice returning.

* * *

Four hours later, the evening finally arrived. It was clear moon out tonight, few clouds, and plenty of stars. In the Loud abode, Rita was asleep on her and Lynn Sr.'s bed. Lily's crib was in there as well, with the infant snuggling into her blanket. She wasn't on speaking terms with Lisa, so she made it clear she wanted to sleep elsewhere for the time being. As for the patriarch of the Loud family, he was spending the night at the hospital, making sure Lincoln was doing alright. On the second floor, all of the rooms barring Lynn and Lucy's were closed (broken lock), the lights turned off. All except the room of the two oldest siblings.

After requesting for a meeting tonight, Lori decided it would be better to discuss whatever it was when their parents were asleep/away. Once that time arrived, the remaining Louds piled into the room. No one said anything for a few moments, the amount of angst in the air would be enough to make an onion shed layers.

Like always, Lori was the first to speak. "Ok everyone, on the request of Lucy and Lynn, we're having this emergency meeting now." She turned to the two girls. "Alright, so what's this about? And no offense, but I want you both to get to the point. I don't think we're supposed to be up this late..."

"Ok...I had the chance to talk with Lincoln today and...it didn't go well..." Lynn began. Leni then raised her hand. "What is it Leni?"

"Like, why is your face all damaged?" The blonde asked, earning a groan from the jock.

"Leni, I literally told you at school. Ronnie Anne and Lynn ended up in a fight. There's even a video on the Internet!" Lori hissed.

"Anyway, I...wanted to apologize to him about what happened on Sunday and...he...hit me with a food tray..." This earned a hushed gasp from the others sans Lucy. "Now...I think he hates me...but I'm not so sure, I mean...I was at first, but now..." Lynn was stumbling on her thoughts before she cleared her head. "Look, we all still love our brother right?" They nodded. "Now me and Luce aren't sure how we're gonna make it up to him, but we gotta find _some_ way to show that we care for him! I don't want him hating us for the rest of his life!..." Lynn glanced at the floor. "Nothing would be the same without him..."

The other silently agreed. "But what _can_ we do? I know mom and dad want us to show that we're sorry!" Lana stated.

"Do you actually _know_ that or you're just guessing?" Lola asked.

"The dudette has the right idea though..." Luna agreed.

"Even so, statistically speaking, it will take quite some time for Lincoln to forgive us for our actions. Given our general treatment of him during past incidents, he may think we care very little about him and only use him as a tool for our own needs..." Lisa explained, feeling guilty at the last part. "On that note...I deeply apologize for using you all to further my own research...I should've known that focusing so much on science was turning me into an emotionless monster...it may take months, or even _years_ , before Lincoln can even refer to us as his female siblings... "

"Still, it's worth trying...I want him to be able to laugh at my jokes again...and I hope he can forgive me for the mess I've caused on April Fools Day..." Luan answered.

"I want to have him rockin' with me once again, and let him know I won't ever again harm him the way I did..." Luna agreed.

"I literally need to make up for all the times I threatened to turn him into a human pretzel just for being in the room..." Lori said, feeling disgusted with herself for getting upset with Lincoln over trivial issues.

"I want Linky back!" Leni cried.

The rest of the sisters shared similar sentiments. Lynn needed to make up for all the times she rough-housed with Lincoln and didn't apologize when she actually injured him, Lucy for constantly scaring him or bothering him when he wanted some alone time, the twins needed to make up for the times he had to settle their little fights, and Lisa really needed to make up for the fact she constantly treated him as a lab rat and not a sibling. Most importantly however, was the one goal all 9 sisters shared. They needed to show that they should've just let Lincoln help them instead of keeping him out of the loop. The group realized that, had this happened, he may have solved their problems without the need to resort to their fists.

Feeling some of her confidence returning, Lynn managed to give a grin. "Ok, whose up for getting our brother back?!"

The rest cheered. "But we still need some idea..." Lucy pointed out.

"We may have some time on that actually. I overheard our parents discussing what happened to Lynn earlier, and I don't think they'll let us visit Lincoln for a few days for both our sakes." Lisa added.

The other sisters groaned, but at least they had some hope. By the time they visited Lincoln, they hoped to be ready to express their pain and guilt, and try their best to make him the happiest boy alive. But what they don't know, is how difficult such a task would actually be.

 **A/N: Sorry that this chapter isn't a long as the last two, but that's because I plan to do a time skip in the next one. Getting bored of the whole fact it's only been two days in-story, so I'm gonna fast forward by a couple days or so. I don't think think this one is as good as Chap. 6, but it does show the sisters have some hope in setting things right. But can they correct their mistake?**


	8. Worse Than Expected

**A/N: Welcome to the eighth chapter of this wonderful story. Not going to make too many spoilers as I want people to be surprised, but I hope you'll enjoy this section of the book. We all know how Lincoln reacted to just seeing** ** _one_** **of his guilty sisters, but what if all of them wanted to visit** ** _at the same time?_** **Get some ear plugs ready.**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

As the week progressed, everyone had been trying to go about their business like usual. Yet, certain events that had unfolded during the first 2 days had made the rest anything _but_ normal. Word travels fast in our generation, especially with the invention of the Internet, Smartphones, and Social Media. Everyone who was in Lincoln's classes had been notified about his hospitalization through the teachers, though as to how it happened was kept in the dark. This didn't stop rumors from spreading on how the Loud boy ended up in the clinic: some being outlandish tales of some stunt gone wrong to being more down to earth such as getting hit by a car. This included the _very much true_ rumor that the Loud sisters had something to do with it. None of the girls could go a day without _someone_ asking some variation of the question: what really happened to Lincoln? Those that did know the answer wisely kept quiet, as to not add more fuel to guilt the Loud kids were feeling.

During the week, Ronnie Anne and Clyde visited whenever they could. Sometimes, they ended up visiting their bed-ridden friend at the same time out of coincidence. The Santiago girl hadn't been grounded like she may have expected due to her suspension, but she did have her allowance revoked until her parents had time to buy her a new nightstand. Bobby also popped in from time to time to check on the little brother he always wanted. Clyde made good on his promise to bring Lincoln the new Ace Savvy comics on Wednesday, to which they definitely spent a jolly good time delving into the new issue and graphic novel.

Rusty, Polly, Tabby, Haiku and Liam also made a visit on Tuesday. Like everyone else, they were surprised at Lincoln's current state, but at least he was getting better. Yet, despite being informed prior by Lucy, the group did form some resentment towards the sisters. Tabby couldn't believe Luna would actually do such a thing, especially considering she was supposed to be the sister closest to Lincoln. As such, the punk rocker effectively stopped socializing with her. Polly was gonna be sure to give Lynn her piece of mind when she returned, and although Haiku still hung with Lucy, the Loud goth did notice her friend was starting to distance herself. Rusty and Liam just outright refused to acknowledge any of the Loud girls' existence, although they did cast glares at any of the sisters they happened to see in school.

Yet, despite all the heckling, glares, and the constant buzz about their family, the girls still held onto a glimmer of light, thinking their current situation would change for the better. They never realized how wrong they were.

It was Friday afternoon, the beginning of the weekend. Lynn and Ronnie Anne were allowed back on school grounds and had to catch up on everything they missed (including a few tests). The two occasionally saw each other throughout the day, and anyone around could feel the tension between them. The Hispanic tomboy still had the urge to floor the sports fanatic, but at the urging of her mother, she kept herself in check. Didn't stop her from uttering small threats to the girl. Ronnie Anne had similar feelings toward the other Louds, giving them a harsh glare that would make them close to wetting their pants. The guilt-ridden looks they would give in response further fueled the bully within her, though she didn't act upon her thoughts of carnage lest she wanted another suspension.

Lynn, on the other hand, spent much of the day drowning in a mixture of embarrassment and depression. Almost half the student body had been mocking her for the way Ronnie Anne practically manhandled her on Monday, thinking she was all talk and not the so-called Invincible Lynn she often boasted. Even a few dim students had the mind to attempt to physically confront her, which of course left them with bruised faces while they called for their mothers. To make her day even more shitty, Polly told her about her visit to Lincoln. The jock wasn't in the mood for another hate speech, but took anyway because deep down, she knew she deserved every moment of it. It ended with Polly refusing to even acknowledge Lynn until she fixed the mess she got herself into.

Currently, the jock was sitting on the curb with her younger sisters, waiting for their mother to pick them up.

Lucy looked at Lynn and could already tell what she went through. "Bad day too huh?"

"You don't even know the half of it..."

"You mean besides the glaring and the constant questions?..." Lana asked.

"...Ok maybe you do...Polly is done with me..."

"Harsh...I noticed Haiku is being more distant than usual. She may not say it, but I know she wants nothing to do with me as well." Lucy stated. "Rocky also isn't talking to me any more..."

Lola winced. "Mmm...what now? We're losing our friends too?"

"Seems like it. Even Maggie didn't talk with me at all lately. Only thing she did was give a sour look." Luan added as she strolled up to them.

"Whose Maggie?" The tomboy twin questioned.

"She's an emo, kinda like Lucy. Met her when Lincoln..." She paused for a moment, a deep frown forming on her face. "...tried to do an act by himself at her birthday party...I arrived and helped him out of that jam, and if it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have met..." The comedian set her bag down, leaning against a pole. "I hope he likes the cake we made..."

"Can he even eat cake? I might be hard for him to chew given what I did..." Lola twiddled her thumbs.

"Well, mom said he can eat soft foods, and as long as no one put any nuts in it, he should be fine." Luan replied.

"But, what if he doesn't listen to us? Lynn, you said you apologized to him and he hit you anyways! What if he reacts the same way to us?" Lana pointed out.

"To be fair, he only struck me because I got too close to him. If he sees we have a present for him and mean no harm, he might open up to us. It won't fix everything, but it's a start, right? Just don't go near his bed, he might...you know..." The jock suggested.

The others nodded in agreement. A few minutes later, the matriarch of the 13-member family pulled up with Vanzilla. Lynn Sr. was working late today, so he let his wife use the car. Not long after departing the school, they stopped by the local university where Lisa did her job as (ironically) a science teacher. The child prodigy's chemistry set was sold to the school for a generous sum, and the little girl was saving it for her older brother's medical bill whenever it'd be mailed to the house. The family stopped at their abode for a short break, as the 3 elder sisters didn't finish school til an hour later.

Luan walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. Sitting inside a glass container sat a good, large-sized chocolate cake. On top of this dessert piece, icing was arranged into the pattern of a star, as well as a sentence in the middle that said, 'Get Well Soon'. There was some debate on the matter between the sisters on what to write, and saying 'We're Sorry' wouldn't really cut it. Not only that, the cake wasn't big enough for a large paragraph. As an extra measure, Lisa had _bolted_ the case shut in the event the sisters couldn't control their chocoholic nature.

"Lincoln doesn't have any food allergies right?..." Luan asked, mainly to herself.

"Negative. I did a thorough background investigation with our father and mother on this matter, and after obtaining permission, I checked the database of my files." Lisa explained, sticking her hand in to grab the orange juice.

"On a different note," Luan shut the door. "Be honest with me Lis. What do you think is chance that we have at getting Lincoln to forgive us?"

The four year old sipped her cup before responding. "Statistically, factoring in the mess we've put him in for the past 180 days, times the atrocity that occurred on Sunday, plus Lynn's feedback then divided by our general lack of visitation throughout the week, I'd say our chances are less than 15%. And that's _only_ if nothing else is wrong with him."

"Well...no one can hold a grudge forever, right?" Luan smiled, though Lisa maintained her stoic posture.

"I have not studied much in the psychological realm, but if it helps, hate does fade over time. But fear is something that can take forever to conquer."

"Wait, who said anything about fear?"

"Just a thought." Lisa continued her drink. _"If Lincoln doesn't hate us, I'm afraid it's much worse than previously thought..."_ The little genius thought to herself.

* * *

At Royal Woods General, Lincoln was about as happy as he could be since he was first admitted into the medical center. As of his latest X-ray test, his pelvis had healed enough for the doctor to allow him to get out of bed. As such, the 11 year old had to be administered a dose of anesthesia to remove the waste tube connected to his sexual organ. But this wasn't the only good news. The elbow joints in his damaged arm had finally healed enough to allow it to bend back in its natural direction. It still needed to be in a cast until it could be fully used, but at least the cast could now be strapped to Lincoln's own person instead of being suspended from a hook. His facial injuries were also non-existent now.

Naturally, after being bed-ridden for so long, his legs were practically asleep. Once he was disconnected from his medical equipment, Dr. Philips proceeded to help the boy do some exercises to get the muscles working again. The boy flinched as he knee joints popped from the doctor gently pushing his legs back. He repeated this a couple more times until the nerves in the 11 year old's legs awoken from their slumber.

"Feel anything?" Richard asked.

"I feel some tingling in my legs."

The doctor then spent a few minutes lifting the boy's legs so they could get readjusted to their natural flexibility. "Good. Now, I want you to try lifting them at your own pace."

Lincoln did as instructed with a little difficulty. After a few minutes, he could finally move his legs around at an even pace. Not at the pace they were before the incident, but it was a start. Now it was time for the hard part.

"Think you're ready to try standing up?"

"I-I guess."

"Ok. Don't rush though. Don't want to hurt yourself even more, but keep a hand on the rail of the bed so you don't accidentally fall." Richard instructed.

Lincoln grasped the side of the bed with his good hand before sitting up. Slowly moving his legs over the side, his body felt odd with almost half his weight being suspended in the air. As soon as he slid off the bed, his legs nearly buckled from supporting his own weight, but he managed to keep himself standing.

Lincoln shivered as his feet transmitted nerve signals that hadn't been active in a while. "My feet feel really funny."

"Don't worry. Your body is just getting used to being up and about. Pretty soon you'll be feeling normal again. Now try walking."

At first, the Loud boy waddled around like a penguin. But over time, he automatically corrected his rhythm and began walking like a normal person, albeit slowly. A sudden knock on the door made him pause, but Dr. Philips just told him to continue while he answered it.

Opening the door, he saw Mrs. Loud, along with her daughters. Even if their visits were frequent, it still baffled him how this family had 11 children. "Hello Mrs. Loud."

"Hey doc, is Lincoln awake?" Rita asked.

Richard chuckled. "Just look for yourself."

Rita poked her head in, and nearly cried in joy. "My baby is moving again!" This got Lincoln's attention, causing him to smile at his mother.

This caused the sisters to gawk in surprise. They all moved to the door, but were quickly stopped by their mother. "Hold on dears. It took some debating to let you all visit Lincoln, especially considering what happened Monday...but let me talk to him first and get him ready, ok?" The girls nodded.

Rita walked in with Lily, closing the door behind her. Upon getting within hugging range, the infant reached her hands out to her brother. Lincoln fondly hugged his baby sister.

"How ya been Lily?" The baby giggled in response.

"How's my little trooper doing?" Rita asked, kneeling to his level.

"I can finally walk again, kinda. At least I can use the bathroom on my own again, and my arm is getting better as well."

"That's great honey. You may be out of here sooner than expected." The mother smiled.

"Y-Yeah..." Lincoln replied, a frown forming as nervousness crept in.

This didn't go unnoticed. Rita ruffled the boy's hair a little. "Oh, I know you're a little scared right now sweetie. But your sisters have been regretting what they did ever since you got here. Now, they're here to see you, but they're nervous too. Do you want to give them a chance to apologize?"

 _A little_ nervous was the biggest understatement of the year. Lincoln was practically terrified at the mere mention that _all_ of his other sisters were here. It was as if another of his nightmares was becoming a reality. His mother's words sounded sincere, but he wasn't so sure. Did they really want his forgiveness? Or did they want to rip his throat out? It was such an internal debate that he freezed up, trying to figure out what to do. Rita awaited his response, but he seemed very hesitant on giving one. The mother was forced to divide her attention when the door suddenly opened and 8 of the siblings crashed onto the floor. Apparently one of them accidentally pulled on the handle. The only person not in the pile was Luna, as she was holding the cake.

"Girls! I told you to wait!" Rita hissed.

"Sorry mom, but we got so nervous it was literally killing us!" Lori explained.

As the sisters situated themselves, all parties looked at each other with varied looks. The sisters were full of guilt, Lincoln was still frozen on the spot as if he was in a daze, and Rita and Lily glanced between them with uncertainty. While the sisters were happy that Lincoln looked to be getting better, the memory of what he was like earlier in the week was still etched in their minds. Lynn was especially nervous, standing closer to the back as to not upset him. The air was thick with tension. The moment of truth. Someone had to say something, _anything_ , to break the uneasiness everyone shared.

It was Luna who finally spoke. "Lincoln...what we did to you is completely unforgivable...in the past we've made fun of you for your habits, laughed at you, _humiliated_ you, used you for our own purposes, but nothing compares to what we did on Sunday...siblings gets into fights, that's certain, but it shouldn't...it shouldn't have gotten _that_ out of hand...we beat you, possibly almost _killing_ our only brother, all because we were being selfish and thinking for ourselves..." Luna's voice grew heavy as she carried on. "We've failed as sisters... _I've_ failed the bond we shared since you were just a baby..." She paused, sniffling to clear her sinuses. "I still remember the first time I held you when I was only 4. All those times I sang you to sleep when you awoke in the night, watching you grow...years later I helped you out with your first SMOOCH concert, and what did I do to repay it all? I help in making your life miserable...I can't even look at myself at in the mirror, because all I see is someone who doesn't deserve to be related to you..." Lola shared her older sister's sentiments. The little princess hadn't looked at a mirror since, except to take care of her hygiene. "The bond we shared may be gone...but we all hope that one day you'll find it in your heart to forgive us, if you can..."

"We even made you a cake that you'll like, totes enjoy!" Leni added nervously, taking off the unbolted glass cover and showing Lincoln the decorated dessert.

However, Lincoln didn't respond to anything. He still had a trance-induced look on his face, blocking out anything Luna and Leni may have said.

"Lincoln? You alright?" Lori asked.

"Wincon?" Lily asked, poking the boy's cheek.

Inside the boy's mind, every mean-spirited act that was brought upon him by his sisters played through his mind on a giant screen. He felt as if he was strapped to a chair with his eyes taped open, forced to watch the humiliation conga that was his life. Lori's constant yelling at him, Lisa's crazy experiments, Luan's constant pranking...these were just part of the factors that made him feel a lack of self-worth. Even Luna, whom he shared a special connection with, joined on the hate campaign against her brother. However, some incidents were a bit exaggerated due to his stress. For example, in the whole ordeal with the Sweet Spot, Lincoln felt he was the main target throughout the whole thing (despite the fact everyone was fighting _each other_ to claim the seat). Lincoln even began to believe he actually clogged the toilet with a Princess Pony book (even though it was really Lucy and he was just covering for her).

Lincoln wanted to look away from the invisible screen that lay before him, but he just couldn't no matter how much thought he put into it. It was starting to become too much for him. On the outside, everyone noticed the boy's breathing was becoming heavier by the second, earning even more concern. But they were stumped on what to do. By some miracle, he heard Lily calling for him before feeling her tiny, soft hands pushing on his cheek. Closing his eyes fiercely, he was pulled from his nightmarish daydream and regained his senses, only to immediately regret it a second later.

Once he could see clearly, he saw all of his non-infant sisters standing before him with worried looks. The boy's pupils shrank as far as they could, a terrified expression taking form as his breathing became more pronounced. Lynn recognized this sign immediately and started stepping back to the door. "Guys? We should go..."

"What? Why?" Lana asked.

"Cause I think Lincoln's about to-" The jock was cut off as Lincoln screamed as loud as he could, flailing his arms in the process.

He accidentally tossed Lily into the air, but thankfully her mother caught the infant. Since the door was being blocked by his sisters, Lincoln tried whatever he could to get away from them. Key word _tried_. As he moved to the opposite side of the bed, it was clear his body wasn't used to walking yet, much less running, so he ended up tripping on his own feet, landing on his bad arm in the process. Seeing the boy fall triggered the protective instincts of his family, who immediately rushed to his aid. The cake was dropped in the process, the sound of shattering glass rang around the room.

The mother and sisters crowded around the boy. "You ok bro?!" Luna asked.

"Does your arm hurt?" Lynn asked.

"Is your face ok?" Leni asked.

Pain shot through Lincoln's body as his arm pulsed with pain. But one look around him made him forget about his damaged limb. Screaming again, he scooted away from the group until he felt his back touch the wall. Lincoln found himself in the same position he had been when his sisters gave him the beating of a lifetime. It was feeling like Sunday all over again. Seeing he was trapped with no route of escape, tears fell from the middle child's face as he curled into a ball to defend himself from the beating he was sure he would receive.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry I didn't respect your Sister Fight Protocol! I promise I won't do it again! I'll do anything you want! Just, please! Don't hurt me!" He finally yelled out.

"Wait, what?! Why would we..." Lola retorted at first, before Lincoln's words finally sank into her head.

As the middle child continued to sob on the floor, it was evident that his injuries were more than just physical. Rita finally realized what her son's nightmares were about, or at least, who it involved. For 9 of the sisters, they stared at the broken form of their brother with shocked expressions before the harsh realization finally hit them. _They_ did this to him. Not only was Lincoln physically hurt, he was _mentally scarred_. No amount of kindness would earn them his forgiveness. The sisters began to cry as well, knowing they may have lost their brother for good.

Just as they thought it couldn't get any worse, Lincoln's sobs had quieted to labored breaths. Tears still fell down his face, but it was clear he was struggling to breathe. His constant screams coupled with his heavy breathing were too much for his still-healing chest, and now his lungs were becoming too exhausted to try to pump air into them. Lisa became aware of this fact first, and like the quick thinker she was, she grabbed the facial breathing mask that was attached to the oxygen tank in the room and strapped to mask to her brother's face. With the child prodigy keeping Lincoln stable, Lynn (being the fastest runner) ran off to find any medical staff.

 _"You may be afraid of me, but I'll be darned if I let you die, my brother..."_ Lisa thought to herself.

 **A/N: So, thought it was going to be a happy ending didn't ya? Everything would be all hunky dory and they'd all live happily ever after right?**

 **NO!**

 **Whatever hope everyone may have had was dashed today. Physical wounds can heal within months, but mental scars can take _much_ , _much_ longer to fade. How will everyone react, and what will happen now that it' become clear Lincoln is severely affected mentally? You'll see soon enough. **

**Writing Lincoln's hospital scene reminds me of the time I had been hospitalized due to suffering a severe case of asthma. I got stuck in the bed for 3 days, the food sucked, and the only enjoyable thing was the cartoons at the time. This was back in the mid-2000s so there was plenty to watch. And that's how I felt when finally got the strength to move again. Make no mistake, this story is _far_ from over, and the road to recovery will be long and uneasy.**


	9. In A Medical Opinion

**A/N: Hello everyone. Glad you guys liked number 8. While writing it, I felt myself cry a bit when doing the dialogue, so I knew I had hit the right stance, and everyone's approval declared that chapter another winner. In other big news, I have finally started posting this story on Deviant Art. Those who have DA accounts may have seen it already, and it's also attracting some new readers. Now, before we get onto the story, something I gotta say first.**

 **So, I got the chance to watch 'No Such Luck' on KissCartoon yesterday. The episode was fine at first, but then what happened in the second half pissed me off...I'll tell more about it at the bottom of this page because I don't want to distract too much from the story. But just so you know, (SPOILER) the the ending of No Such Luck is making me want to write another Loud House story based on what happened. However, before I do such a thing, I need to think about the main plot. Obviously, it'll be along the lines of the family suffering repercussions for going overboard with their superstitions, and I have a quite a few ideas floating in my head but can't decide on which at the moment.**

 **Naturally, everyone has asked about the living arrangements (had this planned for a while), so let's look at the fallout of Lincoln's 'episode'.**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

Dr. Philips just finished doing diagnostic checks on Lincoln, writing some notes a clipboard. It hadn't been five minutes since he walked off to input the new data about the boy, and already something went wrong. Rita was in the room as well, but she wasn't holding Lily. The infant was outside in the waiting room with the rest of her sisters. The matriarch held her hands anxiously, looking between the doctor and her son. Although Lincoln's face looked peaceful, what transpired in this room was anything but.

Richard finally finished his writing. "Ok Mrs. Loud. Lincoln will be fine, he just needs to rest. His lack of breath is due to the fact the ribs are still healing, and they can't expand like they normally would when someone is overexerting their body. He needs to pace himself carefully to maintain even breaths until they're fully healed."

"Oh thank God..." The mother sighed in relief.

"Now, pardon my language, but what the hell happened in here? And why is there glass and cake on the floor?"

"...My daughters...the ones responsible for his current condition...they wanted to visit him to apologize for their behavior and for putting him this situation in the first place. The cake was supposed to be a gift...the girls did apologize, but during the whole time, Lincoln appeared to be stuck in a trance or something. When he finally came around, he started screaming and tried to run from them..." Rita tried to maintain her composure, but it was very hard, knowing how it seemed her family was falling apart. "He fell on the floor trying to run from us. We wanted to help, but he continued to scream, then begged his sisters to not hurt him..." She put a hand to her mouth to prevent her cries from ringing out.

Richard scratched the pen against his temple for a moment. "While it's usual for someone to be afraid if they meet their attacker again, from what you said, it seems this has been for a while. Is that true?"

The mother nodded. "On Monday I brought Lynn Jr. in as she needed bandages for her mouth. She wanted to speak with Lincoln...I was hesitant at first, but she was insistent on making things right with him. She apologized as well, but even then it seemed Lincoln hadn't heard her...he smacked her with his food tray when she was next to him...he's also been having nightmares almost every night, about his sisters I believe..."

"Well that explains why Ms. Heights was muttering about a broken tray that day..." Philips pondered over the information for a moment. "Hmmm...this is more serious than I thought..."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I've seen a few cases of it, but...are you familiar with the term syngenesophobia Mrs. Loud?"

Rita was stumped. She recognized the 'phobia' part, but not everything else. "Syn...gene...what?"

"Syngenesophobia means when one is afraid of relatives, much like how acrophobia is associated with high places, and hydrophobia with water." The doctor explained.

"Wait, so you're saying...my son is _deathly afraid_ of his own sisters?..."

"Given what you said, yes."

That alone broke Rita's will to stay composed. She broke down, tears streaming down her face. "How...how is my son going to live if he's afraid of his own _family_?! All of the kids have their rooms in the same hallway!..."

Richard shuffled awkwardly. He really hated seeing a grown adult cry, even if it was a common place in his field of practice. "Well...if it helps, he didn't appear to hold any fear towards your youngest child. His fear is likely directed at his other siblings."

That much was true. Lily seemed to be the only sister that could approach Lincoln without him going into panic mode. If he did, he would have given the infant the same treatment whenever Rita came to visit. The mother of 11 wasn't sure on what to do, but she sure as hell didn't want her little boy living in forced solitude for the rest of his life.

"Please Richard...is there a way to fix this?..."

"Welp, like all phobias, the best I can tell you is therapy. I once had Mysophobia, a fear of germs, but my parents took me to a good psychologist and he helped me through it. It also helped in my studies, which is why I'm a children's doctor today. I'm not licensed therapist, so I recommend finding a _really good_ psychologist."

Rita didn't have much else to say after that, but if there was any chance Lincoln could live a normal life, she'd take it.

* * *

The 10 Loud kids sat in the waiting room, filling it with despair and anxiety. Most of them had a sullen look, eyes puffy after having exhausted their tear supply. Only Leni was still pouring water like a faucet. Lori was trying to comfort her infant sister, who was giving small whines at this point. Luna was effectively devastated. She gave small sobs that were muffled as her face was covered by her hands. Luan sat depressed with her head supported by her hand on the arm of the chair she sat in, her lip quivering a bit. Lynn was doing a little better than the others, as she partially expected Lincoln to freak out. Still, it was not in the way she imagined. She was hugging Lucy, who was curled into a ball in her seat. The twins were in a similar position, comforting each other, while Lisa sat with a glum expression. The tear stains on her glasses were evident enough.

"It's true! Linky hates us!" Leni yelled as tear water continued to pool on the floor around her.

"Correction: he doesn't hate us Leni...at least I don't believe so..." Lisa stated, taking off her glasses wipe them clean. "What we bore witness to was a heart-pounding panic attack..."

"Now I get what you mean when you mentioned it earlier..." Luan added.

"...What are we going to do now?..." Lana finally opened up.

"To be frank...I have no clue...given our male sibling's reaction to us, which seems to have had a similar effect when Lynn first visited, I can safely assume our dear brother has developed a phobia..."

"Lincoln's made a photo album?..." Leni asked, not understanding what the little genius said.

"No, Leni. Remember your fear of spiders? It's like that..." Lori explained.

"Wait...so if Linky has a fear...then..." For perhaps the first time in a while, Leni hit the nail on the head of something. "He's...he's afraid of..." She didn't dare finish that sentence, as more tears were coming out.

"Yes Leni...the object of his fear is _us_...his own sisters..." Lisa concluded. "And that's worse than facing an act of aggression..."

"But...if I can kinda get over my fear of spiders, can Linky do the same?" The fashion diva asked, some hope building up.

"It's hard to say...I doubt we can even get within visual range of our brother without his phobia taking control...even the mere mention of our names may set him off..." Lisa replied.

The double doors suddenly swung open. The sisters looked to see their mother, who was about as glum as they were, possibly more.

Judging by their looks, Rita knew they were expected an answer on Lincoln's status. "Lincoln is doing fine now. He just needs to sleep for a while. Also I heard you guys talking when I got close to the door, and it's true...the doctor says he has syngene...syn...I'm still having a hard time saying it, but yes, your brother is afraid of you girls..." The news did not help their spirits one bit. "However, it seems the only person he doesn't react to is Lily. Dr. Philips said the best way to help him deal with it is to find a therapist. Since I have no clue where to start, that's gonna take some time..."

"Mom...what's gonna happen to Lincoln when he finally gets out of here?...I don't think it'd be good for him to scream his head off every time he opens his door..." Lynn stated.

"I'm still thinking on that sweetie...I'll have to discuss it with your father, but I think it would be best if Lincoln...didn't live with us for a while..."

The sisters gasped. It was already bad enough that Lincoln wouldn't be in the house until after he was released from the hospital, but not seeing their brother even longer after that was like putting a flaming stake in their hearts and pouring salt on the wound. It just wasn't the Loud House without all of its members being present, and considering Lisa's comments, _no one_ wanted this to continue on for months, or God forbid, years.

Lola gripped her seat in anger, fresh tears threatening to spill again. "Moooom! We gotta do something! Anything but that! I WANT MY BROTHER BACK!"

Lana had to hold the little princess down. "Lola, I want him back too, but getting mad won't help!"

After nearly throwing her twin to the floor, Lola finally settled back into her depressed state. "I wish we never made up that stupid protocol..."

"I already discarded the chart and burned the documents containing it." Lisa quipped. "Wait a second..." At that moment, something clicked in her head regarding her files. "Mother...I believe I know who can help us." Everyone turned to the child prodigy. "I remember during the time when Clyde had stayed over at the house for a slumber party. He mentioned having a family therapist that helped not only his parental units, but also his various issues. Lincoln may know who it is, but..." Lisa stopped there, not wanting to think about happened moments ago.

Rita hummed in thought. "It's a start...but will this therapist be any good?"

The four year old shrugged. "That's up for Clyde to vouch. Do you know his abode's house number?"

The mother shook her head. "No, but I believe your father does."

* * *

Lynn Sr. was working tirelessly at his desk job. In all fairness, his work ethic had slacked a bit ever since his son was admitted to the hospital. But, he knew he needed to provide for his larger than average family. Home life was very different. It was as if everyone lived in a ghost town or some equivalent. No one really saw or spoke much to each other, and the only time the house showed some activity was at dinner. Even then, it was an awkward affair. The downtrodden looks on his daughters only fueled the father's self hate even further. At this point, the only motivation he had was that one day, things would return to normal. But even the universe seemed to be out to crush him today.

Lynn Sr.'s phone vibrated on his desk. Seeing it was his wife, he stepped out to talk. The patriarch certainly didn't expect the bombshell Rita gave him. He was already wary about the girls visiting Lincoln after hearing about what happened with Lynn Jr. after all. In the end, the father cried so loudly in the stairwell, that even though it was several feet from the main office floor, everyone still heard his screams. Even Rita had to pull the phone away from her ear to avoid temporary deafness. The mother managed to get him to calm down after a few minutes thankfully, but still had a hard time talking afterwards. The father just couldn't believe it. It was one thing for Lincoln to be physically hurt, but now he was afraid of over half his family too? The father wanted to cry again, but Rita begged him not to.

"Lynn, Lynn. I'm just as upset as you are, but you don't want your boss to reprimand you again..."

"Ok ok. I'm sorry..." Lynn Sr. took a deep breath and exhaled. "So...what were you saying?..."

"Dr. Philips said Lincoln needs a therapist. And a good one. Lisa knows that our son's friend, Clyde, has one. Not sure if it's a good one though, but-"

"Ah, say no more. I'll ask them." He paused for a moment. "Is he awake?..."

"No...he's still asleep..."

"Right...maybe we shouldn't have let the girls come today..."

"Lynn...that's what I felt...but I really wanted to see them try to make amends with their brother...it may even be a good thing we found out he has this condition now instead of later down the road."

Lynn Sr. became confused. "What do you mean?"

"Just think about it. What if when he comes home, he just hides in his room all the time and never comes out? I know he usually does when he just wants some time to himself, but this time, it would be because he knows his fears are on the other side of the door...it might even...it might even..." Rita started to tear up as the worst thought imaginable came to mind. She pictured herself bringing food up to Lincoln's room for his usual dinner. The boy wouldn't dare come out as he was still avoiding contact with most of his siblings. The mother knocked on the door to get his attention, but got no response. Becoming worried, the mother opened the door, only to find her son hanging suspended from his ceiling lamp with a rope around his neck. A parent's worst nightmare indeed.

The father listened to his wife's soft cries on the line. "Rita...it's not gonna come to that...I promise...we'll find the best damn psychologist we can find and we'll fix this...all of it..."

Rita sniffled. "I just don't want him hurting himself again..."

"Don't worry dear. I'll make some arrangements. I'm gonna make a call to the McBrides, I'll call you back soon. Ok?"

The two bid each other goodbyes before hanging up. Lynn Sr. then dialed another number. He silently prayed someone would be home right now. God must've heard him, because the line was picked up after a few seconds.

"Hello?" A young voice asked.

"Clyde?"

"Oh hey Mr. Loud. How's it going?"

"Peachy, well...actually it's not great, at all...are your parents home?"

"Not at the moment. They're busy getting groceries."

"Right...you have a family therapist right?"

"Yep. Her name is Dr. Lopez. Not only has she helped my dads with their relationship, she's been a big to help me _many_ times. I still come to her for other stuff, though not sure if she appreciates that..."

"Ok, but I have one question...do you think she can help us? The doctor just told us that Lincoln has a...fear of his sisters, and-" The father was cut off when the nerdy kid screamed.

"Lincoln has syngenesophobia?!"

"Uh, yeah I guess that's what it's called."

"Say no more! I'll put in a good word for you guys, and trust me, if anyone can help, it's definitely Mrs. Lopez."

Lynn Sr. sighed in relief. "Thank you Clyde...oh and one last thing...I know it's gonna be a while before Lincoln leaves the hospital, but...we don't think he can live in the house knowing the people he's afraid of are very close to him...myself and Rita are worried Lincoln might hurt himself, so do you think your dads will be ok with Lincoln staying with you guys? At least until things settle between him and his sisters..."

"Well...it wouldn't be the first time Lincoln stayed overnight. I don't think my dads will mind. He can use the guest room." Clyde answered as looked towards the aforementioned room. His two pet cats were sleeping soundly on the comforter. The boy grimaced, hoping Cleopawtra wouldn't cause any trouble.

* * *

Dr. Miranda Lopez sat in her office, going over some notes she took from other clients. The office was rather spacious, as it was in a building she shared with dentists, skin care specialists, and orthopedics. Aside from her desk, it also contained a master sofa, a recliner and a lounging chair that her clients would usually sit on if they needed to get more comfortable. Being 33 years old, the Hispanic woman worked hard in the past decade to achieve her goal of one day becoming a well-known licensed psychologist. She received her Masters in the field from Howard University when she was 26, and while she didn't quite make it into the big leagues yet, she did appreciate taking small steps first. On her desk was a picture of her husband and 2 year old son. Much like the one time Clyde dressed as her when helping Lincoln last Saturday, she wore a green overcoat, brown shoes, and a yellow scarf (mainly because her neck was unusually sensitive to cold temperatures). In her more physical aspects, she was also fairly tan-skinned, had light-brown hair, as well as wearing glasses. She even had a little bit of make-up on her face.

Working in Royal Woods for the last few years was a good start for the young psychologist. She had a decent number of clients, but none of them measured up to the McBrides. She considered them her most challenging (and in some cases, annoying) patients. Knowing how critical people can be when it comes to same sex relationships, Miranda understood how Howard and Harold would feel about making their love public. Even today, the two still had some instances of mockery just for their lifestyle. The annoyance part came from the frequent visits of their son, Clyde. The most troubling issue with him was his constant obsession with an older girl named Lori. Naturally, it was a case of an unrequited love, but the issue was just how persistent the 11 year old was. Dr. Lopez was a very patient woman, but even she was beginning to lose her nerve when it came to Clyde.

The office phone rang, pulling her from her notes. Glancing at the number, the woman gave an audible sigh. She could never go a day without the nerdy child calling her for _something_. "What is it this time Clyde?..." She asked, not caring to hide her irritation.

"Sorry to call you at this time Dr. Lopez, but this isn't for me. My best friend, Lincoln, is going through some really tough times right now...I'm pretty sure his dad will call you very soon and explain everything, so I'm just letting you know. If anyone can help them, it's you."

"Thank you for the compliment Clyde. Is there anything _else_ you-" The phone beeped twice. "I have another call." She pressed 'Flash' on the device. "Dr. Lopez's office."

"Yes, hi, is Ms. Lopez in today?" A masculine voice asked.

"This is she."

"Ok, good. Dr. Lopez, my name is Lynn Loud Sr. I'm calling because...my family is in need of some serious help..."

Miranda became intrigued. "Care to explain?"

"I just found out today my son, Lincoln Loud...he's afraid of 9 of his sisters..."

The psychologist did a quick pause. "Wait, did you say _nine_ sisters?"

"Yes. My family is rather...well it's very big." Lynn Sr. chuckled nervously.

"I see...what brought on this fear?"

"It's a long story...I'm not really comfortable discussing it over the phone..."

"I understand. Well, I don't have any appointments this weekend, so you can bring your son in as soon as possible."

"Well, that's going to be difficult as he's...in the hospital right now...like I said it's a long story. I think it may also help that my daughters see you as well..."

Miranda tapped her cheek in thought. If this was something too serious to talk at a distance, a face to face would certainly help. "Ok. You can bring your other children in whenever you can. And don't worry about payment, we'll discuss that later." The father soon hung up, leaving the doctor to her thoughts. "Been a while since I solved a case of syngenesophobia. If Mr. Loud's family is as big as he says it is, this will be quite an interesting case..."

 **A/N: A bit on the lighter side of things, but it's about time I got a certain doctor involved. As far as I recall, not many stories mention or use Dr. Lopez, and since she's intentionally never shown, one can only assume her appearance. But, now that the Louds have someone to express their pain to, will make** **quite a few interesting chapters. I'm also considering having Lincoln spend a couple nights with the Santiagos.**

 **Now, he's my rant about 'No Such Luck':**

 **The episode starts with Lincoln trying to avoid his sisters because he doesn't want to be dragged to another one of their hobbies. He forgets Lynn, who ends up forcing him at gunpoint, or should I say _batpoint_ , to come to her game. The boy is bored out of his mind, and Lynn's team loses. No big deal, but what first irritates me is that Lynn blames Lincoln for bad luck. It would be in her character to do such a thing, but seriously? You drag him all the way out here just to place the blame game on him when you fail? She doesn't even take into consideration that _maybe_ the other team practiced specifically to counter her (a real thing in sports), and she choked when they managed to get that first home run. That's the first thing I found to be bad.**

 **So eventually Lynn tries to prevent Leni from bringing the boy along for the same reasons, but this time Lincoln just rolls with it to get out of his sister's activities. That's fine, everyone needs time to themselves. However, it's odd Lisa begins to believe in superstitions, when in Raw Deal she was highly critical of it. Now of course, Lincoln ends up letting his little lie get out of hand and ends up kicked out the house. Partially his fault, but most blame goes towards his family on this. So let me get this straight, it's perfectly OK to kick one of your underage children out the house to fend for themselves? And you boarded up his room too? He might as well have been dead to the family at that point. Doesn't help when he DOES finally tell the truth, no one believes him. (At this point this where stories can born as it allows authors to make their own thoughts and what ifs)**

 **I guess it was ok that they finally believed him when he came to Lynn's game in disguise, but this immediately fell flat when Rita offhandedly says 'We sold your furniture' while everyone apologized. That honestly made me go "WHAT THE F*** ARE YOU SH******* ME?!" It's one thing to board up the boy's room, but for what purpose did you sell his furniture for, other than to piss off the viewer? I got so wound up I had the urge to make a story on it. But I DO NOT want it to be a typical angry fic. Might not bother with it as I've seen several other authors make their own, but it's entirely possible I may.**

 **Oh, and before I forget, on Thursday I was browsing Loud House tropes just to see whatever new stuff was added (and because I wanted to check the YMMV for opinions on newly released episodes). After checking the fanfic recs, I got a very big surprise: my story was posted on the Dark Fic category. Not only that, it's even got a trope page of its own (and boy half of them were funny to read). So I really appreciate you guys for all the support, and also for Troper TerrorKing10, thanks for the recommendation.**


	10. Getting Down To Business

**A/N: Sorry for the delay with chapter 10. Got a bit sick over my break and had been trying to come down from it for a while. But hopefully it would've been worth the wait. Finally, the Louds get to meet Dr. Lopez in person. Hopefully she can help the family mend the struggles their facing right now.**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

All of the Louds gave a sigh of relief as they piled into Vanzilla this Saturday afternoon, except Lori, who was vomiting into the bushes. Keeping true to his punishment, Lynn Sr. took the girls to see their Great Aunt Ruth. Rita came along as her husband had some good news for everyone, but he kept quiet for the time being as the patriarch wanted to get this dreadful visit over with. As expected, their surprise visit was rather...boring to put it lightly. Same old videos, same old cats, same old cruddy molded pudding...Perhaps the worst part came when Ruth asked about Lincoln's absence. Hesitantly, the parents stated he was sick and couldn't attend, but that didn't stop the 'Great' Aunt from having someone massage her feet (as she typically had Lincoln do it). Naturally, no one wanted to even be _near_ those disgusting things she walked on, but the old hag wouldn't take no for an answer. It was Lori who decided to take one for the family. Before the visit could get any more gross, the Louds had enough and called it a day. Before exiting the house, Rita took the chance to tell her aunt that she needed better food, as the matriarch didn't want more of her kids falling ill.

"You think she'll be ok?" Leni asked.

"Trust me Leni. I like gross stuff, but even I wouldn't touch Aunt Ruth's feet..." Lana shivered.

"Hearing her puke is makin' me want to puke..." Luan added.

"Lori's not the Queen of Puke for nothin' sis..." Luna replied.

The oldest Loud girl staggered to the van, a mix of stomach acid and broken down food covering the sides of her mouth. Rita took out a medium sized bottle of hand sanitizer and dumped it all on the poor girl's palms. She even gave her some tissues.

"Lisa...when we get home...I want you to make some acid so I can dip my hands in them..." Lori ordered as she cleaned her face.

"We're grounded, remember? Plus, I wouldn't recommend acid unless you want to be in excruciating pain for the rest of your life." The little genius replied.

"Whatever! I literally, can't ever use these hands after touching... _those_..." Lori shook violently as she winced in disgust. She felt her stomach flipping again, but resisted the urge to vomit. She just wanted to get the hell out of there.

The rest of the girls shared her sentiments. While they were discussing the unfortunate incident, Rita knew there were better matters to attend to. "So what did you want to tell us honey?"

"Well, good news is I found a therapist." Lynn Sr. announced, causing the girls to fall silent.

"Is she good?" Luna asked first.

"Does she have the mental capacity to handle our situation?" Lisa's question.

"Can she help Linky?" Leni's question.

"The answer to all of that is: I have no idea. Her name is Dr. Lopez, and she said we could come as soon as we can. I just hope she's available on the weekends..."

"You didn't ask for her business hours?" The irritation in Lori's voice was clear.

"I...forgot to do that before I hung up."

"So what's the bad news?" Lola piped up.

"Well...I thought it'd be a good idea for _all_ of us to have a couple sessions with her." The 9 daughters were surprised. "Look, I know how down you girls have been since last Sunday, and I think it'll help if she evaluates our entire family. Myself and Rita already know this family could seriously use some therapy, not just Lincoln...so is everyone ok with that?"

The girls silently nodded. The constant self-hate and guilt-tripping needed to come to an end. Each of the 9 siblings had personal feelings they never shared with each other, and despite it only being a week, it was getting to a point that someone might snap and hurt themselves. Didn't help that just yesterday they realized their brother _feared_ them. While it gave them comfort that Lincoln would get the help he desperately needed, the sisters would need help not only moving past this problem, but also realizing that things may never be the same ever again.

It was a 45 minute drive from Aunt Ruth's to the address Miranda gave to Lynn Sr. The little ones were asleep, and the older sisters were close to nodding off too. "Well gang, we're here."

Lola rubbed her eyes before gawking at the complex before them. "Does she own the _whole_ building?!"

"Preposterous. This is clearly a shared architecture with other physicists and oral surgeons." Lisa pointed out.

Luna let out a small groan. "I hope she's not on the top floor."

"Then we're in luck, cause her room is actually on the ground floor." Lynn Sr. pointed out. Luan had to resist the urge to make a pun.

Walking through the double doors, the family made their way towards a room with the sign _Psychology Department_ embroiled on the wall. This lead them into a small waiting room, which had another door leading into a hallway. Various doors were on both sides, likely for those that needed to speak with certain therapists. An African-American woman was busy on the computer before noticing the family walk in.

"Can I help you?"

"Hi, we're the Louds. We need to speak with Dr. Lopez...is she in today?" Rita asked.

"Do you have an appointment?"

"N...Not necessarily." Lynn Sr. replied.

"May be a wait then." The woman picked up her phone and dialed a few numbers. "Miranda, it's Gigi. Did you want to speak with someone by the last name of Loud?"

"Yes. I spoke with Mr. Loud yesterday. Is he here?"

"Yeah."

"I'll be out in a moment." Gigi put the phone back on the receiver. "She'll be with you soon."

Before the family could get comfortable in their seats, the Hispanic psychologist strolled through the open door. "Mr. Loud?"

"Yes, that's me."

"Ah, ok. This must be your wife and..." Even though he said it over the phone, having _10_ kids of varying ages in the room still took her by surprise. "Children?" _"Geez, these two sure have been busy..."_ She thought to herself.

Rita caught the woman's gaze and blushed. "Y-Yeah. Only one not here is Lincoln..."

"Right...ok, to start, I'll speak with the both of you first, then we'll proceed from there."

The parents nodded. Rita handed her infant daughter to Leni before the two down the hall, disappearing behind a door.

"Like, what do you think's gonna happen in there?" Leni asked.

"From what I've seen on a few movies, probably just talking about what they're feeling right now before she moves on to us." Lola explained, looking at her nails in boredom. "Might talk with us individually too."

Lynn kept silent for a moment, but she had one question gnawing on her psyche. "What if this doesn't work?..."

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked.

"What if therapy doesn't help Lincoln at all? What if he'll stay afraid of us _forever_?..."

She was right to worry. After their little incursion at the hospital, this solution may blow up in their faces again. There was some hope Dr. Lopez could fix this, but when you thought about it, how can _one_ psychologist fix a family as broken as them? The 9 sisters felt the cold hand of depression gripping their shoulders again. The odds were stacked against them, and if therapy failed, they knew they deserved to endure life without having someone to call a brother.

* * *

Miranda sat in the recliner, notepad in hand, while the parents sat on the loveseat. The doctor took a deep breath before starting her process. "So, you told me before what happened was too difficult to discuss on the phone. What is the reason for your son's fear, and is it linked to his need for medical attention?"

The two glanced at each other sadly before spilling the truth. "The reason Lincoln is in the hospital is because of what his siblings (minus Lily), did to him. They...they physically assaulted him until he was almost unconscious. It was only then that they realized they went too far...no one's been the same since..." Rita explained.

The doctor's eyes were wide open at this revelation. "Dios mio...is he alright?"

"He suffered fractured ribs, a damaged pelvis and a bruised face ma'am. And that's only _half_ the injuries on the list..." Lynn Sr. added in a stern tone.

"I see...do you know what caused this incident to occur?"

"The kids were having a disagreement over their Sister Fight Protocol..." Rita stated, the disgust in her voice very clear from saying the last 3 words.

"And what exactly did this system entail?"

"I don't remember all of it, but the jist was that our daughters would be able to settle their conflicts on their own without us having to get involved...this was the _only_ time it's ever been used in our house, and it fell to pieces!..." The patriarch stated in anger.

Miranda had written down a few notes before continuing. "Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but it's labeled _Sister_ Fight Protocol right?" The parents nodded. "You said you have a son in the family, so did this system not include him?"

This definitely rang a bell in the Louds' heads before they started explaining what the protocol entailed. It states that if two sisters got into a conflict, both warring parties would be divided and isolated until they simmered down enough to talk it out. It also contained a chart to showcase the seriousness of the situation. Thunderstorm means two of the sisters are at odds with each other, and the threat level would continue to climb as two or more sisters come into conflict in addition to the ones already in a heated argument. However, it also stated that no one should intervene and allow the conflict to run its course. Not only that, it failed to state what Lincoln had to do with any part of this, at least not as clear. Rita and Lynn Sr. felt so stupid for not picking this up, that they literally slapped their foreheads at the same time.

"Lincoln doesn't get into a lot of fights like our daughters...he only gets involved if he feels the need to. We just assumed it didn't involve him at all...not sure how our daughters handled it though..." The mother of 11 replied.

The psychologist took note of this. "Hmm...from the sound of it, this system was flawed from the beginning. While it's good to let a conflict simmer, it can at times make everything worse, as it lets the anger fester without an outlet. _Poor communication kills_ is a well-known phrase I hold close to my heart. Not only that, but if no one is supposed to get involved, it seems your daughters were doing what they _weren't_ supposed to you 2 have any roles in this?"

"We first found it was in effect on Friday after we came home from work. At the time, only Lori and Leni were still at odds, so we made separate meal times for them. And before you ask, it was so they wouldn't think we were picking sides. Everyone in the family was attending. Rita made two sets of pasta, and I ended up telling the same joke twice..." Lynn Sr. added.

"Anything else happen? Sorry if these questions seem repetitive, I'm just gathering a clear picture to understand the situation." Miranda explained.

"It's alright. We're just...having a difficult time is all..." Rita stated.

The doctor leaned back in her seat. "You aren't the first clients I've had with similar issues. Just take your time and let it come."

After a few moments, Lynn Sr. continued on. "The next day, their protocol was still in effect, and it seemed things were getting worse...Luna and Luan were arguing now, so the threat because Hissing Cat. A few hours later, it became a stampeding T-rex...and we...and we...we hid in our room like cowards!" Lynn Sr. sobbed into his hands, his wife comforting him.

Miranda wrote down more notes. _"Clearly there's a worry of being bad parents between these two..."_ She thought. "I probably shouldn't ask this, but did anything happen the next day?"

"We know that our daughters kept fighting for the rest of the day, but come Sunday it seemed to have settled. We...we were too afraid to come out and check, so we stayed put..." Rita paused, knowing very well what came next. "That was our b-biggest mistake...the children were fighting again, and soon we heard someone crying..." Rita couldn't continue. The memory of Lincoln getting brutalized haunted her deeply.

Miranda put the pieces together as to not make the couple even more upset. _"Well, that explains how the phobia first developed. Likely it was over a period of days before they realized what it was...this, is going to be a long and tedious process..."_ She said in her head. "Ok, now that I've got a clear picture, I know how we can go about this. First off, I'm going to have to speak with both of you individually. I'll do the same for each of your children. I want to understand how everyone feels about the whole situation, and maybe then I should be able to give some helpful advice. If your son is as afraid of his siblings as I think he is, he's going to be rather difficult..."

Both parents were elated that she was going to help them, though unsure if she'd be up to the task. It's not everyday you meet a family of 13, and most of the time half of that number consists of distant relatives. "This..." Rita sniffled. "This isn't too much for you is it?"

"Oh heavens no! I'm visited by this kid named Clyde on a frequent basis, and no offense to him, but that boy has _a lot_ of issues...so, who wants to go first?"

After some debate, Lynn Sr. opted to go first. Rita took this as her cue to leave the room. She needed to ask her kids how exactly did they handle their protocol, at least to better understand where it went wrong.

"Now, Mr. Loud, what we discuss here does not have to leave this room. You are free to make use of this information as you will, and if you wish to keep it private you can just tell me. I won't utter a word to anyone else. Understand?"

The father nodded.

"Now, I'll ask you a series of questions, and you can respond to them in any way you wish. I won't force it out of you, you need to come to the podium on your own."

"O-Ok..."

"Now, what kind of relationship do you have with your children?"

 **A/N: Short, but we finally get down this head fixing started. For a spoiler, the parent sessions will be in the same chapter, but each sister (minus Lily) will get one dedicated to them. Lincoln's will be further down the road, and his will definitely be rather interesting.**

 **To clarify on the levels of the Sister Fight Protocol incase they weren't clear.**

 **Field of Daises: No conflict**

 **Thunderstorm: 2 sisters are at odds**

 **Hissing Cat: 4**

 **Stampeding T-rex: 6**

 **Erupting Volcano: 8**

 **(my level) Hell on Earth: 10**

 **And if you haven't noticed yet, I've finally written a story in response to No Such Luck. I just didn't like all the stories with Lincoln dying or getting close to it RIGHT at the beginning.**


	11. Parental Advice

**A/N: And we're back to your regularly scheduled programming. In this chapter, we will begin to long process of healing the Loud family, starting with the parents incase the title didn't tip you off. We'll see how Lynn Sr. and Rita feel about the current situation, their lives, and what they can hope to do in the future. After all, raising 11 kids isn't easy.**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

"Wooo...where do I start?" Lynn Sr. asked as he lied down on the lounging chair.

"It doesn't matter who you start with, but I would like to know how you feel about all of your kids." Miranda explained. _"And considering how many he has, this is gonna take a while..."_ She uttered in her head.

"Well, being a father of 11 kids isn't easy I can tell you that...my family has had a lot of ups and downs, but in the end, we still love each other to the bottom of our hearts...even so, it still baffles me how something like this happened...I guess it was only a matter of time..."

Ms. Lope tilted her glasses down. "Care to clarify?"

"Well, all of the kids have different personalities that can sometimes cause them to be at odds with each other. And let me tell ya, sibling fights in the house are pretty common. We're not called _Loud_ for nothing." The father chuckled. "For example, I have two girls that are twins right? They sleep in the same room, but they are practically polar opposites. Lana likes mud and reptiles, not afraid to be covered in dirt while Lola likes cleanliness and beauty. They also tend to fight the most."

"A common thing among identical twins." Miranda stated while writing some notes. "What about the rest of your children?"

"Well...there's Lori, my oldest daughter. Any time myself and my wife are at work or leave for the evening, she's entrusted to make sure the house doesn't fall apart. Being that she likes to be organized, she seems to be handling it well. I would argue that she spends too much time on her phone..."

"Is she one of those girls who talks on their cellular device most the time?"

"Heh, more like 24/7. It's funny though. I remember we first got her a phone when she was 13 because she was old enough and responsible enough to handle one. She hardly ever used it for anything other than the occasional call. But, everything changed the very next year."

"Go on?"

"At the time, she started dating this boy named Roberto Santiago, and she finally started using her phone more frequently. Might be a mixed blessing because the phone bill went through the roof at that point. If you can't hear her, you can tell she's around from the non-stop texting she does." Lynn Sr. chuckled.

"Hmm...this Roberto Santiago wouldn't happen to be the same one Clyde talks about is it?" The doctor questioned.

"Well...to be honest, I don't know any other person named that. He's often called Bobby though."

Miranda nodded, confirming her suspicions. "Ok. Carry on."

"So, pretty soon her phone became her world basically. I think it got even worse when I finally got her a smart phone after constantly asking for one." The father sighed. "She's also the only child in the house to have their driver's license. I don't say it much, but I worry every day she'll end up in an accident due to be buried in her phone...well, it's not an issue right now though..." The father stated solemnly.

 _"A parent's natural worry."_ Miranda silently agreed.

"And speaking of driving, there's my second oldest daughter, Leni. She's...not exactly the brightest tool in the shed...I love her dearly, but her condition can make you want to...slap your forehead at times..."

The doctor paused. "What kind of condition does she have?"

"Only Rita and myself know this, and possibly Lisa...but...Leni actually has ADHD...she's always sweet, likes to keep herself looking beautiful, but she's been prone to having plenty of...dim moments..." The patriarch explained. "Both of us were worried when she first started showing signs of it when she was only 4. She's had a hard time staying on task in some simple situations, but surprisingly she's a high school junior now. You may think it's a miracle, but to be honest, myself and Rita would slip some medication into her drinks to help her stay focused..."

"And you've been doing that for 12 years?"

Lynn Sr. nodded. "I don't like having to lie to the kids, but we're just not sure how they'd handle it...I will say, that Leni's mind really seems to come into its own when she's making smoothies or anything related to fashion." He leaned up in his chair for a moment. "She can turn any object into a fashionable piece of clothing, whether its a curtain, trash, anything!"

"Well, when one sets their mind to it, they can accomplish their goal." Miranda stated, jotting down Leni's information.

"What's odd is that, on the other side of the family, my daughter Lisa has the smarts of a 40 year old scientist. And she's only _four_."

Miranda's pencil snapped at that notion, and she gave a questionable look. "Perdon?" She spoke in her native tongue, not believing him for a moment.

"She's 4 years old, yet she's heavily interested in chemistry, biology, math, anything that peaks her interest I suppose. She's even got a Noble Prize in bio-chemistry when she was only _three,_ and she's a teacher at the local college. Now, I know you're gonna ask 'how can a four year old be a teacher?' Well, you'll see when you speak with her. Myself and Rita were _very_ concerned because we hadn't seen anything like this since Leni was born, and I may not be that smart, but I know babies shouldn't come out as smart as Einstein...we took her to a few doctors and the best they could come up with was that Lisa had some form of Autism or Narcissistic Neurosis..."

The Hispanic doctor took a moment to digest this information. "...No offense to you Mr. Loud, but as ridiculous and impossible as that sounds, I'm willing to bet your daughter likely has some form of Autism. It's not uncommon that a mental disorder can produce a higher-than-average intelligent quotient. She'll be very interesting to speak with." She sharpened her pencil and took heavy note of this. "Getting away from some of the darker aspects, do you have any interests or hobbies?"

The father brightened up a bit. "Well, I like dancing, a bit of karaoke on the side, and I'm really into the Rocking Boulders. And speaking of which, I ever tell you about my daughter Luna? She's a _huge_ fan of them, especially Mick Swagger. He's essentially the reason why she likes rock and roll so much. I believe we both met him in disguise at a family fair once...I still can not believe I actually saw _Mick Swagger_ face to face!" He fell back in the chair, stuck in a state of bliss.

Miranda just stared at him uneasily, wondering when he'd snap back to reality.

* * *

Thirty minutes earlier, while the father was getting his therapy session, Rita walked back into the waiting room. The absence of the patriarch drew confusion from the girls.

"Where's dad?" Luan asked.

"He's busy doing a one-on-one session with Dr. Lopez. She'll do the same with me once he's finished, same for you girls." The matriarch explained.

Lola raised her hand. "Called it."

"Now, while we were talking with Ms. Lopez, some things that we hadn't thought about before came up, so while I know this is a bit late in the game...how did you girls handle your Sister Fight Protocol last weekend?" She asked with a stern look.

Each of the sisters _did not_ want to be reminded of their failed system. It served as nothing but an embarrassment of how everyone acted so childishly and the efforts of what their combined flawed thinking led to, but main reason no one ever wanted to utter it because it forced them to bring in the painful memories of everything that happened to that point, and everyone wanted to try and move on from this low point in their lives.

"It started with me and Leni fighting over a dress..." Lori began. "...I didn't want her wear the same thing I did, so I demanded she take it back to the mall..." The 17 year old started, covered her face in embarrassment.

"I refused, and we got into a serious argument over who should wear the dress..." Leni finished.

Rita couldn't help but pinch the bridge of her nose at this. At first, she thought it may have gotten started due to a legitimately serious argument, not over something petty like a dress. "What...else...happened?" She edged on. Call it mother tuition, but she had a feeling she'd be utterly pissed by the time their tale was done.

"So the protocol was put into action. Lori was cooling off in the kitchen, with Leni upstairs in her room. Lincoln...he wanted to get a snack out of the kitchen but I wouldn't let him because Lori needed her space..." Luna added.

"I found a bagel under the sofa he could try. Apparently, all it did was give him the urge to commit the emesis of his ventriculus." Lisa gave her input. "And by that, I mean vomit." She added for clarification.

"However, he couldn't use the bathroom because Leni was in there cooling off...but I gave him a bucket to use." Lana stated sheepishly.

"Then...Lincoln wanted to watch a monster truck rally, but we wouldn't let him for Lori and Leni's sake." Lucy spoke.

"And how exactly did you do that?..." Rita asked, the annoyance in her voice very clear.

Lynn, Lola, and the goth had a guilty look on her face. "We...beat him up when he reached for the remote..." The jock explained.

The next 10 minutes were spent with each sister telling their role with the Sister Fight Protocol. After thoroughly explaining what happened on Friday and Saturday, the sisters realized the unfair treatment they put their brother through. Kicking him out of his room not once, not twice, but _three_ times in total, taking his bed sheets without permission to use as a divider in one of the girl's rooms, and not even explaining the protocol to him and just adamantly telling him to keep out of it, did not help their situation one bit. Stating it was a 'sister thing' was a pitiful excuse to the mother. But, Rita finally knew what part Lincoln had played in all of this: keep out of it and go along with whatever his sisters did no matter how asinine it was. She had yet to give her daughters a tongue lashing since this whole situation started, as she was too angry to even speak with them, but now...

"So let me get this straight...you girls thought it was _ok_ to use your brother's room to avoid each other, _without_ _his consent_ , you took his bed sheets even though we had _spares_ in the basement...and on top of that, any time he asked about the protocol, you just told him it's a 'sister thing' and to _butt...out_?..." Rita asked, her eyes squinted in anger. Her tone of voice carried venom at this point.

The girls nodded in fear.

"So...like, are you mad at us?..." Leni asked.

"No Leni..." The girls calmed down a little. "Because 'mad', doesn't begin to cover it!" Rita yelled, causing the girls to flinch. It even grabbing the attention of Gigi. "How could you girls act like this?! We raised you better than that, and you should've known better than to treat your _only_ brother like his opinion doesn't matter! Not only did you treat his possessions and space like they were expendable, you also couldn't see the flaws in your protocol from the very beginning! I don't care if one of you is upset, you have no right to block off an _entire_ section of the house! You can do that in your own homes, but not in _my_ house missies!" The girls sank in their chairs in sadness.

"I understand Lincoln accidentally reignited the initial argument, but his intentions were pure, and to be honest, you girls are literally at fault for keeping secrets from each other. All he wanted to do was get everything back on track." Rita scolded. "Lori and Leni, I'm especially disappointed in both of you for arguing over something so trivial. You both bought the dress, so what is wrong with having the same item? You both share a _room_ for God's sake!" The two lowered their head in guilt. It was also embarrassing how their mom used the words 'like' and 'literally'. The apple really didn't fall far from the tree for these two. "I'm also disappointed in you as well, Luna and Luan! You shouldn't have let yourself get dragged into their argument, especially when it didn't concern you and it was over a petty reason! This is like, worse than the time you kids fought over money..."

Rita sat down in one of the adjacent chairs. "Aside from Lily, I'm disappointed in the rest of you for going along with everything that happened...but..." Her anger softened as she mellowed out. "I'm mostly disappointed in myself..." This earned confusion from her daughters. "I know I have a right to be upset, but the blame goes to me and your father for not taking the time to settle things between our kids like a _real_ parent would...it's...it's our faults you girls ended up like this..." Rita felt hot tears running down as face as she started to sob.

Each of the sisters could feel their mother's pain, but none felt it more than Lori. Being the oldest, she's had to care for her siblings any time both parents stepped out of the house, so she knew first hand it was hard caring for 10 kids. She didn't like having to be a bossy and overbearing sister, but she knew it would keep the others from going overboard. Recalling the time her siblings usurped control from her, the house would've been completely demolished by their antics. Thankfully, it was Lincoln who came to his senses first and helped make sure everyone avoided an epic grounding. And now, her brother was afraid of her. After all the treatment she gave him...she literally felt like a total bitch...However, one grating thought was stuck in her head. Why did their parents avoid settling their matters? Was it because...no...she didn't want to think about that...

Lori sat next to her crying mother and hugged her tight. "Mom...don't blame yourself for what we did...we take sole responsibility for our actions, and you had nothing to do with that...I just wish we could be better daughters..."

"Lori...you girls are the best thing that's ever happened to me...I was even ecstatic when Lincoln was born...but-"

"Mom...you try to do your best, we get that. I understand it the most because you always trust me to watch over everyone while you and dad are away...I know we lost your trust because of...you know what...but I need to ask this...are you and dad...a-afraid of us?..." The teen asked in worry.

* * *

"Ok, so we know all 11 of your children...and I'm sorry to bring up recent memories of what happened with your son, but that's why we're here. Now, given what you've said, do you feel closer to some of your kids in comparison to the others?" Miranda asked.

"Well, it's a given I'm close to Luan and Luna due to having similar tastes. I always help teach Lana about fixing things around the house, even though at times she breaks them just so I can teach her..." A good amount of his Saturdays were spent fixing stuff in and around the house when he could've been relaxing after a hard week at work. "On occasion, I do play music with Luna. I'm actually pretty decent with the saxophone and even used to be the cow bell player for a band...until they kicked me out..." The father chuckled nervously. " Luan takes after my sense of humor. Also, Lynn Jr. shares my love for sports. Though I do wish Lincoln had as well..."

"Speaking of your son, what about him? Being the only boy in the family, I'm sure there's probably a close father/son relationship going on."

"Well of course. I've taught Lincoln how to ride a bike when he was 3, I've taken him on a couple fishing trips, he's actually pretty good with the cello too. At some point, I even plan on giving him the family car when he's old enough."

"Sounds promising." Miranda stated as she kept writing. "Anything else?"

"Well, there's..." Lynn Sr. dug into his mind to try and find more fond memories of him and his son. He found one more moment, such as helping him with his volcano project when he finally found the time to help him. After that, he was drawing a blank. All he could remember were the times Lincoln got himself into trouble or had lied to get out of doing something. Such was the case when Rita signed him up for football or at least some type of exercise. Not to mention the times Lincoln clogged the toilet. Admittedly, the father was still a little peeved at having his karaoke CDs flushed down the can.

Miranda studied the look on Lynn Sr.'s face. "Mr. Loud, do you feel you aren't as close to your son as you would have liked?"

"Huh? That's ridiculous! I know my son like the back of my hand."

"Can you name some of his hobbies?"

"Well, he likes to play video games, reading comics, Dairyland, and...uh..."

The psychologist shook her head. " _Some parents always go with denial..."_ She thought. "Do you sometimes wish he was more like his sisters?"

Lynn Sr. sighed. "Yes...my girls seem to have found what they're passionate about, even the girls younger than Lincoln, and they even got some achievements for it. I'm not sure if Lincoln has found that certain calling yet..."

"Well, Lynn, are you aware of the phrase, _you can lead a horse to water, but can't make him drink_?" The father nodded. "Lincoln will come into his own eventually, he just needs time and acceptance. He could grow up to be a decent artist, a writer of some sort, we may never know. But you can't force someone into doing things they don't like, because if their mind isn't into it, it will lead to failure. Once he finds his passion, he'll stick with that. And, I can tell you wish to be closer to your other kids, so what I recommend is trying to find time for them so you can get to know them better. Granted, I know it must be difficult given the size of your family..."

"Well...myself and Rita always make plans on how we can help our kids. However, sometimes they can be a bit...selfish...There was one instance where Lincoln had to go over to the McBride's house to get help with his volcano project. I was a little disheartened because I couldn't find time to help him. Whenever I could, one of my daughters wanted me to help them with something. Same for my wife...eventually, they even went over to the McBride's and essentially...broke them. Even then, my daughters wanted our help when we were busy helping Lincoln with his project. But, at that moment, we put our foot down and told them to wait." The father explained.

"Did they listen?"

"Yeah. I think we used too much pressure with the volcano though." Lynn Sr. laughed.

"Noted. But remember, don't be afraid to say no. They may not like the answer, but it can give you time to get closer to your other children. Now, may I speak with Rita?"

The father nodded before getting up and leaving the room. Upon coming into the waiting room, he found Rita crying along with Lori comforting her. "Ok, I clearly missed something...are you alright sweetie?"

Rita simply shook her head. "Right...well, Ms. Lopez wishes to speak with you..."

"Thanks..." The mother said before sulking down the hall.

Once the matriarch was out of earshot, the father to his daughters. "Alright, what happened while I was in there?"

* * *

Miranda was rather surprised to see the Loud mother walk into her room, looking completely depressed. "You ok Mrs. Loud?"

Rita simply shook her head, only giving a sniffle in response as she sat on the lounging chair. The doctor tossed her a box of tissues, to which the mother started to use immediately. The psychologist gave her the same speech she gave Lynn Sr. regarding use of information spoken within the room, and that the mother was free to use it as she pleased. If she wanted it to be kept private, Miranda wouldn't say a word to anyone.

"So what happened while I was speaking with your husband?"

"...It turns out Lincoln did have a role in their system. The girls thought it was perfectly ok to take up his space and use his belongings like they were expendable...and any time he asked about their protocol, they just told him to keep out of it..." The mother felt her anger returning. "That's not the worst of it though...their whole protocol...all of this started...Over. A. Fucking. Dress..."

Miranda was a little surprised. But then again, these are two teenage girls they're talking about. She's seen plenty of this in her youth, though normally it was over shoes instead of a piece of clothing. The doctor herself was guilty of this at one point, but eventually she saw the futility of fighting over an item of fabric as it would only bring temporary happiness before the next big thing to hit the store came in. And girls would repeat the process over and over, being slaves to the company's marketing. "So what did you do?"

"I let my daughters know just what I thought about the whole situation...but I can't help but blame myself for this..." Rita paused. "I can tell you as one mother to another, that raising a boat load of children is possibly the hardest challenge in my life...I love each and every one of them dearly, but with tensions running in a family with several diverse personalities, myself and Lynn avoid picking favorites lest the rest of our kids come down on one of them...it's even worse knowing that's _exactly_ what happened to my little boy..." Rita wiped tears from her face with tissues.

Miranda said nothing as the mother of 11 continued to cry. She kept a stoic face, but deep down, she pitied Rita. She knew it was stressful raising a child, but she would never think of having the amount the Louds had. Still, if something happened to her bundle of joy, she'd be in the same position as the matriarch.

"That's why whenever the kids argue, both parties are punished...but that strategy just doesn't work...my eldest daughter just asked me if I was _afraid_ of them..."

The doctor secretly hoped she wouldn't have to deal with another case of syngenesophobia. "...Are you?"

"NO!" Rita instinctively yelled. "S-Sorry, but no...I want them to be assured that I DO NOT fear my own children, it's already bad enough Lincoln fears his own sisters...they're just hard to control at times...when all of my kids become angry, they're like a bull in a china shop, or a mini-tornado of some kind...in those situations...I hate saying it, but sometimes it's best to duck and wait for the opportunity set them straight..."

"Does that make you feel more distant from your children?" The doctor asked.

Rita nodded. "...My only job is a dental assistant, and before that I was a _crossing guard_...it's hard enough making ends meet...don't tell anyone this, but...sometimes it does cross my mind what it would be like if our family was smaller...but in the end, I realized it just wouldn't be the same and that's just selfish thinking on my part..."

"I can understand that...but, in relation to that question, do you feel a close connection to some of your kids over the others?"

Rita had to take a moment to think, lying down in the chair. After having so many daughters, it almost felt monotonous given she went through the same motions when it came to raising them. She helped Lori, Leni, Luna, and Luan when they started having their time of the month, and Lynn was due to start any day now. She even helped her 3 oldest sisters deal with their hormones when puberty started to set in. Sure enough, Rita knew she'd do the same with Lucy, the twins, Lisa, and even Lily some 15 years later. However, it was different with Lincoln. Being the only boy in the family, he would be taught differently compared to his sisters because he'd grow into a man some day. Rita wouldn't say this in front of her daughters, but raising a boy was possibly the best thing to happen to her, as it finally changed the system. It was an entirely different experience, and she was glad she was lucky enough to be able to bring forth a son.

"As far as my daughters are concerned...I would say I'm closest to Lori and Leni as those two will be legally classified as adults in the next few years, and as a mother I need to do all that I can to prepare them for that crossing...that's why I was disappointed in them when they argued over a dress. They've been living in the same room for 8 years, and they should know better than to argue over petty things... there's Lily of course, since she's the baby...but I can't say I'm that close to much of my other daughters...3 of them are tomboyish and look to their father for advice, even though I know they'll ask me for womanly help when dealing with certain aspects...I can definitely see Lola doing that when she's in her teens..."

Miranda kept jotting down notes.

"But, I do hold my son close to my heart...me and Lynn want to see him become a fine gentleman one day...I guess you could say popping him out felt like a breather after having so many daughters." The mother chuckled a little. Even the doctor couldn't help but smile at the joke. "I know at times he feels lonely that he doesn't have a brother...personally I did hope give birth to another son or two, but things didn't happen that way. So, I try to be there for him as much as I can so he doesn't feel alone...on one such occasion, it was Take your Daughter to Work Day, and of course Lincoln being male, he couldn't come with the girls to their dad's job. Didn't stop him from trying though." Rita fondly remembered when the boy disguised himself as a girl. Would've worked, but his parents know how to count heads. "So, I took him to my job. He was a little bored of course, but he managed to let his imagination run wild. Unfortunately, he ended up ruining the novel I had been working on..."

The Hispanic woman tilted her glasses. "You're a novelist?"

"Well, not really. The original copy was about my boring job as a dental assistant. After working on that novel for years, I couldn't help but be upset, but after Lincoln told me the lengths he went through to get it back after he lost it, it gave me a new idea. It's going to be about a fearless thrill seeker, based on my own child. We even rode home on skates while clinging to the back of a horse." The mother giggled.

Miranda found that to be very heartwarming. _"Seems she's closer to her son than the father._ " She thought.

"Though, I did grow concern about Lincoln's lifestyle...unlike his sisters he's not as active, so I tried to get him to do some exercise. Unfortunately, he was being too lazy about it, so I signed him up for Pee-Wee Football...he managed to dupe Lynn Jr. into playing for him, though she didn't mind. However, I didn't appreciate being lied to, but he manned up and finally played, despite scoring the the wrong team...I would have punished him, but I thought getting jumped by his own team was bad enough...despite all of that, I would always be there for him...and the one time I wasn't...he ended up like he is now..." Rita felt more tears coming, so she quickly grabbed another tissue.

"I see..." The doctor paused, reviewing some of her notes. "Is it alright if I ask Lynn Sr. to come in?" The mother nodded in response.

Miranda walked out of the office and came back with the father two minutes later. He seemed to be rather mellow like his wife. The girls explained what they told their mother, and asked the same question. The father assured that he wasn't afraid of his own children, though some of his actions may have proved otherwise. Rita sat up to make room for her husband as the Hispanic doctor sat in the opposite chair.

"Now, both of you have shown me that you are indeed afraid of being too distant from your children. You say you don't pick sides as this may cause sibling rivalry, yet you are close to some of your kin while not interacting much with the others. I understand you two are afraid you're bad parents, but let me tell you this: any bad parent would've just let things continue the way they are without seeking help. You both did the right thing bringing this up so you can settle your problems not only for your son's sake, but for your entire family. Now, I understand that it's difficult controlling so many kids, but you can't be afraid to put your foot down and prevent something worse from happening. It's better to put an end to a conflict than to let it drag on. I'm sure you two are already taking measures to make sure nothing like this happens again, no?" Both parents nodded.

"Now, to absolve your worry about not being close to all of your kids, I can say this: spend as much time as you can with those you feel you aren't close to. Get to know them better, make them feel comfortable around you. Don't try to overdo it, as this may push the child away. It doesn't have to be anything outlandish, a nice talk, or doing their favorite activities will do. Over time, I'm sure your kids won't think about you being afraid of them."

Lynn Sr. gave a sigh. "Thank you for your time Dr. Lopez."

"It's nothing." The doctor looked over at her clock. It was already 4 pm. "Now, given time constraints, I may be able to only talk with one or two of your daughters."

"Which one do you want?"

Miranda looked over her notes. "Send in...Lori."

 **A/N: The parents sure got their work cut out for them. It's rather sad knowing in my NSL story they're the exact opposite of what they're doing right now. On the Loud House wiki, it states they're close to certain kids, but it says next to nothing about those that aren't. As such, I had to fill in some blanks or just outright state they aren't as close. Lori will be the first sibling to interact with the good doctor, and her case should be very interesting considering how her sisters tend to view her.**


	12. The Thoughts of an Adolescent

**A/N: College has been a pain in my ass with 7 classes I'm taking, 4 of which are engineering. But hopefully it'll be worth it once I'm done. It's been close to a month since I last updated this gem of a story, so I really need to do it some justice. Life has put me behind my usual chapter scheduling, but hopefully it'll have been worth the wait.**

 **With the parents out of the way, let's take a look into what a certain 17 year old deals with in her daily life, especially considering what's at stake here.**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

Miranda sat calmly in her chair, reading over some of the notes to prepare herself for another chat with one of the family members. Two minutes after the parents departed, she heard shuffling behind the door before it was slowly opened. Lori looked around cautiously before stepping inside.

"Lori?"

The 17 year old nodded.

"Ok then. I believe you already know my name so I can skip the introduction. Please take a seat." Lori sat on the lounging chair, her back straight and a frown adorned on her face. This didn't go unnoticed. "Don't worry dear. All we're going to is talk things over. You won't be in trouble for anything, and if you wish to keep certain information private, I won't tell a soul. Sound good?"

"Alright then..."

"Now, what seems to be troubling you?" This was probably a stupid question, but Miranda needed to break the ice.

The teen sat in silence for a moment, only staring at the floor. "Everything...home life is a wreck...my school life and reputation is in pieces...my _love life_ is dead now...my only brother is sitting at the clinic, thinking I'm gonna kill him in his sleep..." Lori paused. "And right now...I'm pretty sure it's literally my fault that things turned out the way they did..."

"Care to elaborate on this?"

"What else is there? I don't know what you talked about with my parents, but it all adds up! If I didn't get into that stupid fight with Leni, our sister fight protocol wouldn't have happened, everything would still be as they were, and...Lincoln...he..." Lori couldn't finish that sentence without tears forming in her eyes.

Miranda could feel the 17 year old's pain, but she needed to delve deeper into this. "Ok then, let's take a step back for a moment. Aside from what happened recently, what is home usually like? What do you go through every day when your family is in better spirits?"

Lori grabbed a tissue and wiped her eyes, not caring if her makeup was smudged. "Normally...things at home can be pretty...chaotic. I'd be on the phone talking with my boyfriend, in fact, that's what all my siblings think I do..." The teen stated a little irritably, gaining an expecting look from the doctor. "...Ok ok I do talk on my phone _a lot_ , but that doesn't mean I don't take note of my siblings' activities. Leni is usually going on about the latest fashion trends, Luna is always thinking of a new song, Luan is always cracking corny jokes, Lynn keeps trying to make every little thing she does into a sport..."

The teen paused to take a breath. " Lincoln...he's usually busy reading his favorite comics, Ace Savvy I believe. Lucy is busy writing poems, and I wish she'd stop popping up at random. I swear, one of these days, she's literally going to wound up punched in the face if she does that to a random person. Lana and Lola usually fight over something trivial, and when they aren't, Lana is either feeding her reptiles and Lola is looking at herself in a mirror to keep up her pageantry. Lisa is always in her room working on whatever experiment she has in mind, and Lily, being the baby...just does whatever she wants."

"I see." Miranda scribbled down notes. "Given how you keep a close eye on your siblings, would you say you have a strong relationship with them?"

That was difficult to answer in Lori's mind. There was no doubt that she knew her siblings viewed her as being bossy, dominating, and tyrannical. Sometimes she'd use her age as an excuse to get what she wants. The fact she'd done this numerous times made it clear that she liked to be seen as being superior to them. What girl wouldn't? However, Lori did have a few good reasons for her behavior.

"Yes...yes I do. My sisters and brother often think I'm this self-absorbed person that just pushes them around due to the fact I'm the oldest. Unfortunately...they are right about that to a degree...but that doesn't mean I don't love them. I love everyone in my family even though I don't show it that often, and even if I do have to threaten them, I'm only doing what's best for them. Any time mom and dad leave the house, I'm always put in charge. None of my siblings like this because I'm practically this drill sergeant and I have them spend the rest of the night in their rooms."

"What's your reasoning for this?"

"...If I let them do whatever they wanted, we literally wouldn't have a house to live in." Lori lied down as she went into deep thought. "When I was 9, my parents felt it was ok for me to start looking after everyone else while they went out. I only had 6 siblings then, as Lucy was just a few months old. I was both excited and nervous because I didn't want to let my parents down, but at least we could finally have some freedom. I just let everyone do what they wanted and we had few issues. But as the family grew both in size and age...things got crazier..."

 _-Flashback-_

A 13 year old Lori was running around the house, trying to control her siblings. Rita and Lynn Sr. went out to the movies roughly two hours ago, and the eldest sibling was growing increasingly worried that they'd be home any minute.

"Lynn, stop playing soccer in the house!" Lori yelled, ducking as the aforementioned ball came screaming at her. "Grr!" She spotted an infant Lisa doodling on the wall. "Lisa, you can't write on the wall!" Lori stated, taking the crayon from her. The teen was a bit shocked to see her doodle was actually some sort of math problem. This made the baby start to cry, making Lori cringe. "Ok ok, you can write...for _five_ minutes!"

Lisa blew a raspberry at her before giggling.

The 13 year old then spotted the twins, only 2 years old, fighting over a doll.

"Mine!" Lola yelled.

"Mine!" Lana yelled.

"Mine!"

"Mine!"

"Nu! Mine!"

Lola took the doll with more force and bopped her twin on the head. "Mine!"

Enraged, Lana pounced on her. Their big cloud of violence moved about throughout the living room, nearly hitting Lincoln and Lucy who were sitting on the couch. The duo was too engrossed watching ARGGH! to pay attention to their surroundings.

 _"Not again..."_ Lori groaned inwardly. However, she needed to get Lynn who was still kicking a ball around the house. Amazingly, the girl hadn't broken anything yet. "Leni, can you wrangle the twins?! I gotta get Lynn!"

Leni poked her head out of the kitchen before quickly going back in to get some water. Lori had no idea what she was going to do, but she hoped it would quell those two beasts. Lori chased Lynn up the stairs, the 9 year old taunting her all the while. Lynn was already growing to be quite the quickster, as the 13 year old had issues catching her, to the point the teen lost track of that sports fanatic. Growing increasingly frustrated, Lori decided to use her brains instead of her muscle.

"Ok Lynn, you win~!" She sang. "I'll let you play soccer all you want~!" Lori then ducked into one of the rooms.

Lynn poked her head out of the closet at the end of the hall, checking for any signs of the blonde. Thinking she lost her, Lynn hummed to herself while kicking the ball repeatedly into the air. As she made her way to the steps, the little jock failed to notice someone creeping up behind her.

"Gotcha!" Lori yelled as she tackled the girl.

Unfortunately, this caused them both to tumble over the steps. Lori quickly braced herself so she'd take most of the brunt force while protecting the 9 year old in her arms. When they reached the bottom, the two girls suddenly found custard on their faces.

A 10 year old Luan laughed. "Guess whose got _pie_ on their face?" Lori and Lynn groaned in annoyance. Having found her passion for comedy when she was 8, the little girl was doing her best to become an aspiring comedian. Lynn Sr. definitely approved of her jokes, but to everyone else? Not so much. You'd think after two years she might have gotten better.

Meanwhile, Luna came and sat down next to her siblings on the couch. Being only 11, she was quite troubled with wondering what kind of activity she'd be interested in. This was especially worrisome as Luan and Lynn seemed to have found their passions quite early. The little girl wasn't too interested in watching something about ghosts, so she grabbed the remote to change the channel.

"Hey! We were watching that!" Lincoln yelled.

"Sorry Lincoln, but I'm not that interested in spooky stuff..." Luna stated, randomly flipping through channels.

"Spooookeeey..." Lucy said.

"Well me and Lucy were here first, so give me that!" The 7 year old grabbed for the remote.

However, Luna wasn't so keen on giving up control of the TV. Pretty soon, all 3 siblings were squabbling over the remote.

Leni came back with a pitcher and doused water on the twins, hoping to put out their little flame war. "You guys seemed heated, so I wanted to cool you down!" The blonde said cheerfully.

However, she was met with looks of anger before Lola and Lana turned their aggression towards her. This caused an even larger fight that quickly drew everyone else in. The trio first bumped into the siblings on the couch, causing them to get involved with the brawl before slamming into Lori, Lynn, and Luan, the former two still busy getting pie off their face. At this point, the only sibling not involved in the brawl was little Lisa, who stared at them with a bored expression. Lori ended up getting thrown out of brawl and slammed into the wall. Her impact caused a few pictures above her to fall on her head as a result.

Being 13 years old, puberty was beginning to hit her hard. She was already wearing braces to correct her teeth, had a few zits, and more importantly, she was prone to sudden changes of emotion or expressing it in extreme volumes. Lori looked at her quarreling siblings as her anger built up. Her face turned red as she started grinding her teeth, something you shouldn't be doing when you have braces. All they had to was listen to her for just one second. Was that too hard to ask? In the Loud House, apparently so.

"THAT'S IT!" Her voice boomed, causing everyone to stop what they were doing. Lori stood up with the look of pure rage etched on her face, making her siblings shrink in fear. "ALL OF YOU ARE SPENDING THE REST OF THE NIGHT IN YOUR ROOMS, DOING NOTHING! AND IF I HEAR SO MUCH AS A PEEP, I'LL TURN YOU INTO A HUMAN PRETZEL! IS THAT CLEAR?!"

"But we-" Lincoln started.

"I SAID IS THAT CLEAR?!"

Everyone nodded before hurriedly scampering up the stairs. Lori breathed heavily for a few moments before taking in the mess around her. Giving a heavy sigh, the teen started the long process of cleaning up the living room and the kitchen. By the time Rita and Lynn Sr. got home, she was passed out on the couch. It was oddly quiet for the first time in the Loud House, but the parents didn't question what Lori did. All they knew, is that she did a good job watching over everyone.

 _-End Flashback-_

"And that was the first time I yelled at any of them..." Lori said as she ended her story.

"That's quite the tale Lori. How did you feel about it afterwards?" Miranda asked.

"Terrible...I didn't want to have to do it, but they literally drove me so far up the wall I just...lost control of myself..."

"I can understand that. Your patience was worn thin by that point. But why do your siblings see you as nothing but bossy?"

"...I wanted to make up to them for that incident, but as most would say...puberty was a bitch...still is. My emotions would get out of control and I would end up saying the wrong thing, I keep acting selfish at times when it's unwarranted...and when it comes to watching over the house when our parents are gone, if being bossy and mean was the only way they'd listen to me, then that's what I just stuck with...I realized this made me look like a bad sister in their eyes, but if I can't really change their minds, then might as well be the sister they think I am..."

The doctor wrote down more of this. "But in the end, you still love them with all of your heart right?"

Lori nodded. "...Over the past 3 years of watching them, it feels like I've grown up so fast...I practically know what mom feels like when she raised us but...this is the real confusing part for me. I'm always there for my siblings, or try to be, for the most part, and I always take joy in watching them accomplish stuff on their own, but to me it feels...empty...like I want to be with them for the most part, but I get this knot in my stomach knowing that I'm close to going to college and leaving the house...I'm just not sure what they'd do without me, if that makes sense."

"Hmm..." Miranda tapped her chin with her pen. "Would you say you've done something very selfish and crazy?"

Lori looked at the ceiling in guilt. "...I had this deal with my siblings that I'd offer them free rides in exchange for doing my chores...they didn't like it so much, and decided to help Leni earn her license. Now, Leni is old enough to drive with a permit, but being she's...Leni...she's failed her test so many times like a certain sponge on a kids show. I'm actually surprised the DMV allows her to re-take it so many times. Thanks to my sisters, but mainly Lincoln, she learned to drive properly..." Tears started to form in her eyes. "But for some reason...I just couldn't let her succeed. I wanted to be the one to give her lifts to wherever she wanted to go...doing so made me feel warm inside knowing I'm helping my siblings. So...I ended up sabotaging Leni's mind to get her to fail her test..." A few tears slid down her cheeks.

The doctor now had a clearer picture and had one theory in mind. However, just to be sure... "...Lori, do you see yourself as being a 'second mother' to your sisters and brother?"

The teen gave a confused look, not sure where Miranda was going with this. "Um...I guess? Might be because I've watched over them a lot while growing up."

"Well, you may not know it, but I believe you have an issue where you're afraid of seeing your siblings becoming independent."

Lori's eyes went wide at this. "W-Wait, how can that be true?"

"After watching your siblings over the last few years, you've clearly developed a strong bond with them. I'm not sure how often your parents leave them in your care, but you do seem to take a lot of pride in the fact you care for them to the point it almost feels like you're raising them yourself. As a mother, it's not uncommon to be worried about your babies growing more independent to the point they leave the nest. You know that, at some point, they'll be your age and be ready to leave the house just like you will soon. And as you said, you feel as if you know how Rita felt when she was raising you. As such, you find yourself as being something like a mother to the others."

Lori took a moment to process this information. With the sisters close to her age, they felt more like actual siblings. But to the younger ones...she'd do anything to protect them, like a sibling would. But for some reason, that didn't seem to sit well in her mind. While Lincoln had taken up the role of helping his sisters more due to the fact Lori herself didn't have the time, she was fully aware that such a task was her responsibility before Lincoln effectively grew up enough to handle it. That's also why she laughed at him the time her siblings managed to finally usurp control from her during her usual babysitting duties. Lori _knew_ Lincoln couldn't handle it, and just as she thought, the house went into full chaos in a matter of minutes. It was a very grateful experience as Lori finally had a sibling that understood why she acts the way she does, and because she knew it would help Lincoln when he becomes the oldest kid in the house, after Lynn moves out that is.

"...I...I think you're right on that...but what should I do?...I don't want to pretend to be this bossy, overbearing sister anymore...I want to be the sister I've always wanted to be since I was 13..."

"You can Lori. You can do this, by letting your siblings branch out and grow up to be the adults you know they'll be. You can't be around with them forever, but trying to make it so you can will not only hurt them in the long haul, but also yourself. If you want to be the kind and caring sister you know you can be, then don't stop trying to change their minds about how they currently see you. The reason you became this dominating figure is because you did the one thing you shouldn't have done: giving up. By not giving in to their accusations, you could have changed their minds about this a long time ago. But, as they say, there's no time like the present."

Lori stared at Dr. Lopez for a moment. She was right. She gave up too soon to change their opinions of her. The teen knew she couldn't ask the doctor how to go about this, as this was something she'd have to do on her own. Lori would also be sure to thank Clyde for giving her family a really good therapist.

"Now, concerning present issues...why did you get into a fight with Leni over a dress?"

The 17 year old hated thinking about that incident. "...I was just being the selfish bitch I had grown to being used to...I put my own pride ahead of my sister, and in the end, Lincoln was right...Mom was right...it was stupid and petty of me to think like that...me and Leni could've looked like twins...but I had to open my stupid mouth..."

"How close would you say you are to Leni and Lincoln?"

"Leni is literally my roommate...we've been sharing the same room since we were babies. At times we'd get into arguments, but in the end, we still loved each other with all our hearts...as for Lincoln..." Lori took a pause, remembering the fond memories she had with him. However, this also brought up all the times she acted like a total prick. "While I don't show it...I love my brother to the very bottom of my soul...when he first came into this world, I still hate myself for literally being against him due to the fact he was a boy..."

Miranda gave a weary look. "It was at the time I thought boys were gross ok?..." Lori added.

"But over time, I quickly warmed up to him. Luna was the first to hold him as a baby, but I did my part in clothing, feeding him, and even playing with him." Lori gave a small smile. "I still remember the times I fed him ice cream. He still likes Mint Chip from what I remember...I also played with him on the swings whenever I took him to the park. He'd always say 'Higher Lori! Higher!'. As he got older, I started calling him 'twerp'. Occasionally, it was used as an insult, but it also became an affectionate nickname for him. He didn't seem to mind it. Hell...Lincoln is also the reason I have a job right now. He even filled in for me the night I had to work during prom! You don't see any 11 year old doing that. In response, I'm practically the reason he has a girlfriend now, even though I did throw stuff at him in anger at one point...I even got him a new gaming visor after accidentally sitting on his old one, though he gave a rather...colorful message to me while I went out to get it without telling him..."

"What brought this about?"

"I was in one of my moody days and he stumbled into the room on accident...I threatened to turn him into a human pretzel to get him to leave...I wouldn't actually do it, but I just didn't want to be bothered at the moment. I realized I should've just apologized to him first before getting a replacement game for him..." A frown formed on her face. "Lincoln's done a lot for me and my sisters. He's the best brother I could've asked for...but what does he get in response? Being pushed around? Treated as if his opinion doesn't matter? Getting sent to the hospital all because of a stupid fight _I_ started?!" She gripped the armrest in anger. "Lincoln may be a nuisance at times, but it should have _never_ come to this! Now, he's living in fear of me, my sisters, and who knows what else, and I've been acting like nothing but a conniving bitch who uses her age as a bargaining chip to get what she wants!..."

The teen gave a few sniffles. "...I just want to take it back...I want to take back all the times I treated him less than a brother and was mean to him...but life doesn't work that way..."

Miranda kept a stoic expression as she watched the teen. "Don't worry Lori. In time, you will make it up to your brother. It will be a long process, but first, I need to work with Lincoln so you can talk to him without the poor boy going into a panic attack..."

"...If you're going to do that...promise me...you'll do everything you can to bring back the little boy I used to know..." Lori said, her tone sincere and very serious.

"I haven't failed a patient yet, and I don't intend to in the future...now, is there something else on your mind? Perhaps concerning your parents?" The doctor pointed out.

Lori gazed at the floor for a moment. "Right...it just bothers me that mom and dad hid in their room while the rest of us were fighting...when I think about it, any parent would've put a stop to this a long time ago...and it was only recently that mom scolded us...I would also point out on April Fools Day they hid in Lisa's bunker, though to be fair, Luan's pranks would make _anyone_ hide in fear...I know they want us to handle our own conflicts, but after what happened last week...it _almost_ seems like they have what Lincoln has..."

"I have discussed this with Rita. She wants to assure everyone that she isn't afraid of her own kids. But she did say you girls are hard to control..."

Lori understood that much. Eleven kids is a big amount to gain control over. Heck, it was hard enough getting the aid of your parents when everyone else needed the same thing. But, it did help the teen in assuring that her parents wouldn't end up like her little brother.

"Is there anything else on your mind Lori?"

The 17 year old thought for a moment, but was drawing a blank. She knew what she had to do now, all she needed was time and patience. In the long run, she hoped to remove the current image her siblings had on her.

The teen shook her head. "No..."

Miranda nodded. "Alright then. Thank you for your time dear. And it seems I have enough time to talk with one more person."

"Who would that be?"

"I wish to speak with..." She looked over her notes. "Lisa."

Lori nodded before getting up and headed out the door. Miranda probably could've spoke with Leni first to see how she felt about the fight and the fallout of it, but this was too good of an opportunity to pass up. If Lisa was as smart as the parents were suggesting, this would make for a really interesting session.

 **A/N: Again, I deeply apologize for the agonizingly long wait. With college coming to a close, I should be able to update much more frequently. Lori may be a bossy teen, but she's still a kind and caring sister who just wants what's best for her siblings. I hope it also helps dispel the negative images the fan base currently has on her. Next time, we'll look at a certain genius' take.**


	13. From a Genius' Perspective

**A/N: Welcome back. Glad you guys liked my take on Lori's thoughts. A girl like her can't be bossy all the time. There has to be some reasoning behind it, much like how I think there is some reasoning behind the way some of the sisters act like jerks. Ironically, Lisa's chapter comes with the number regarded as being bad luck to some people. Lynn certainly would have a fit about it. But let's take a look into the eyes of a 4 year old. Surely she has something to get off her chest.**

 **Also a note to Aaron Nava. I've noticed you've been leaving a lot of posts about not liking the fact Lori calls Lincoln a twerp. In fact, quite a few times you've asked me not to have her do so in your reviews to my story, as well as on other people's stories. I'll say you got your wish that Lori does feel the guilt from how she treated her brother (this was obvious considering how the story has been progressing), but you're really starting to come off as one of those oversensitive Lincoln fan boys, and it's getting irritating. As said in the last chapter, Lori calls Lincoln a twerp not only as an insult, but as an affectionate nickname. It's not like Vicky's case, where she calls Timmy a twerp purely out of spite. So no offense, but you really need to get over the fact Lori does this. The girl deeply cares for her brother, and you need to stop getting bent out of shape just because Lincoln is being called a particular name.**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

When the smarty pants of the Loud family stepped into Miranda's office, the first thing the psychologist noted was the 4 year old's attitude. Like always, the look on Lisa's face was almost unreadable with the blank expression she was ever so famous of, and the doctor could _immediately_ tell this wasn't any regular toddler. If anything, it reminded the Hispanic woman of a particular redheaded boy genius who also wore glasses.

"Judging by the expression you're giving, no doubt you are questioning my unnaturally high IQ." Lisa stated as she climbed onto the lounging chair.

"How did you figure that?"

"After conversing with my parental units and eldest sister, no doubt my name has been brought up numerous times. Still, I expected that after Lori, you may want to talk to Leni instead." The little girl stated, her lisp quite evident in her speech. This added to her 'little genius' image.

"Well, let's just say when the mention of a child prodigy is spoken of quite a few times, I just had to see it for myself." Miranda admitted.

"In that case, your curiosity is understandable."

The doctor made a small side note on her notepad. _"Perceptive. It seems the family's mentions of Lisa being the genius weren't just exaggeration..."_ She looked back at the toddler. "Now Lisa, are you familiar with how therapy sessions go?"

"Aside from the sharing of one's inner thoughts and emotions, I do not know much about such practices unfortunately."

"Yes that's part of it, but I also need to inform you that, if you wish to keep certain information private, I will withhold it for you."

"Understood."

"Now, is there anything bothering you today?"

Lisa let out a sigh as she brought a hand to her head. "Quite a lot to be frank...I believe it goes without question that, like the rest of my siblings and parents, I too am deeply troubled by the events that occurred in our usually chaotic abode...nothing at our house has been so astronomically damaging before, and I fear the harm we've done is irreparable..."

 _"Pretty sure the others feel the same way..."_ Miranda thought. "Now tell me, what is your take on the events that happened?"

"Like my eldest sister and parents have stated, we instigated our now-embarrassing Sister Fight Protocol when Lori and Leni started to fight over a rather expensive piece of fabric that cost only $85.70. Atrocious, I know, but such is fact with two teenaged females with a thing for shopping. During the entire spectacle, I was keeping track of the danger level. Things were calm for a while, but..." The little prodigy paused as she thought of her brother. She could still see the hurt look on his face when he was first getting beaten by herself and the rest of her siblings, followed by the fact he looked as if he'd seen a ghost when all of his siblings visited him yesterday. Tears weld up in Lisa's eyes as she remembered her brother almost dying from asphyxiation, followed by the not-so-shocking news of his phobia (to her at least). She saved his life, sure, but it wouldn't do anything about the newfound fear he had of her.

"Lisa?" Miranda asked, noticng the toddler's unresponsiveness.

The doctor sat in silence as Lisa looked to be on the verge of crying. Seconds later, the doctor was met with the water hose effect as Lisa sobbed all over her seat. "I'm so sorry Lincoln! I'm so sorry!...I didn't mean to hurt you like that!...I shouldn't have let myself succumb to such an emotional response!..." She cried in a broken voice.

Usually, Miranda wouldn't interfere when someone was crying during their sessions, but no matter how hard she kept a blank face when someone broke down, it definitely pulled her heartstrings when the person expressing grief was a small child. Getting up from her seat, she walked over the whimpering genius and took a seat next to her, not caring about the soggy cushion.

The doctor gently stroked Lisa's back like an affectionate mother. "That's ok Lisa, just let it all out..."

Lisa sniffled lightly hugged the side of the psychologist. "I can still see the fear and pain on his face every time I go to sleep, l-like it's an apparition that haunts me every time I close my eyes...and I usually don't believe in ghosts...this is probably my punishment for my part in the fight..."

"What did you do?"

"I...I hit him a few times in the most sensitive area on a male..." Lisa grabbed a few tissues and wiped her red eyes with them. While cleaning off her glasses, "The doctor said those areas were bruised, and that Lincoln would experience pain in his urethra and testis whenever he needs to use the lavatory for some duration...I've never felt so disgusted in my life...and that means a lot since my siblings say my odd studies are gross..."

Taking further note of the 4 year old's appearance, Miranda saw that Lisa's eyes were surprisingly smaller than your average toddler's. She originally thought that the girl's eyes were of average size with a slight defect, but turns out the glasses just magnified their appearance by 3. Definitely explained the need for them, and the doctor suspected the little genius was nearly blind without them. In comparison, Clyde's eyes were normal sized, but required eyewear due to the fact he has trouble seeing objects further than 20 ft.

"And before you say anything, I know you're going to ask why I did it..." Little Lancy placed her glasses back on. "...I had hoped... I wanted to cripple his sperm production for years to come ok?!" She yelled in outrage, most of it directed at herself. "I was just so angered by his idiocy I felt that he shouldn't produce any offspring as they'd end up as challenged as he was...but if anyone's the idiot in this family, it's me...all of this could've been avoided if I simply told Lincoln about our system, but instead I just told him he solved it all by leaving the premises..."

"Lisa, even smart people make mistakes from time to time, but most fail to admit them. You're certainly showing that you regret what you did and are taking responsibility for your actions."

"...I may be a genius...but after having time to reflect on it after having sold my chemistry set and sitting in isolation...the only thing I see any time I look at myself in the mirror is a sociopathic monster..."

Miranda frowned. "Lisa, you're not a-"

"Yes I am! I know I have an Autistic disorder that makes my Intelligence Quotient that of a scientist in their 30s, but I've been distant, egotistic, and harsh towards my own family!...I've done approximately _300_ experiments so far in my short life span, and most of them were to satisfy my own, _very morbid_ , curiosity...countless times I've used my own siblings as test subjects on things that could cause potential harm or have irreversible side effects...I even tried to use _Lily_ , _my own 1 year old sister_ , as a test subject just because she wouldn't understand what was happening. It doesn't help that we share the same room, and as a result of my constant experimentation with various chemicals, her excrement can be almost fatally toxic if not discarded quickly...I've even created a creature made entirely out of trash once along with another...oddly shaped creature without proper guidance to tell me otherwise...my parents and siblings have scolded me time and time again about doing such things, but did I ever listen?..."

Lisa curled up on the chair, burying her head in her knees. "...I know my siblings sometimes wish they were as smart as I was, but there's one thing I'm jealous about when it comes to them...they're _normal_...even my older twin sisters are normal, while I've been cursed with this unnatural amount of brain power...I always told myself, 'I don't have room for social activities or express any form of emotion in my brain'...that's far from the truth from the way things are now..."

"...Do you find yourself lonely at times?" The doctor questioned.

The little girl nodded. "...I used to welcome the isolation because it gave me more time to work on my studies, but after I received my punishment...I realized what a lonely existence I've been living...and before you say 'but you live in a house with 12 other people', I hardly formed any sort of connection with my siblings..."

Miranda had been writing stuff down for the last few minutes, but shook her head at Lisa's last response. "Sorry to say this Lisa, but I don't think that's true. I'm sure you have plenty of good memories with your siblings despite everything you've been through. Are you saying you virtually have _nothing_ in common with them?"

Lisa searched her memories to prove the doctor wrong, still indignant on her claim of having little to do with her siblings. None of the other kids held any interest in chemistry, the human body, or anything that had to deal with mechanics. Lisa herself surely wasn't into sports, music (besides opera), she found comedy to be a waste of time; thought spirits, luck, and anything superstitious was baloney due to her being a realist, and she often found Lori's obsession with her phone to be irritating. She even found Lincoln's Ace Savvy comics to be subpar for her tastes.

That was the first thing to cross her mind, but it wasn't the only thing that came up. She came across the fond memories she had catalogued in that massive brain of hers as well. Lisa wouldn't admit it, but the toddler did enjoy tutoring her siblings on certain subjects. It was effectively one of the few ways she was close to them, and she always liked spreading her knowledge. It was one of the reasons she enjoyed her teaching job at college. Not only that, but she also cared for the well-being of her siblings. Her poop study is widely considered to be extremely disgusting, but Lisa was secretly keeping track of her sisters' and brother's eating habits. Generally, a human will defecate about 1 to 3 times a day. As such, she was concerned when Lori hadn't used the bathroom for a couple days, which to her meant something was wrong. She got her answer when the 17 year old drank a 6 week old milkshake (which of course meant the milk in the treat was spoiled). It seemed that Lori had a gastrointestinal blockage, which could've resulted in something worse had this gone unnoticed for too long. The toddler was quick to lecture Lori to eat healthier lest she wanted to end up in the ER getting her stomach pumped.

Then, she came across the last time Royal Woods had a massive snowstorm. Originally, she saw the inclement weather as an obstacle that got in the way of her siblings studies. As such, she created a special type of salt that would dissolve the snow and ice at a quicker rate and get the roads back to drivable conditions. Plus, it was very dangerous to be walking around ice in general, especially since not many know how to drive in such bad road conditions. Lisa knew fairly well how often accidents could be fatal in these times.

Those days were forever cemented in Lisa's mind, as for the first time she could remember, she actually had fun with all of her siblings. She never knew playing in the snow could be a fun activity, seeing as she spent much of the time in the house. Yet, she enjoyed it, perhaps too much. While her plan to get her siblings to hate snow days worked to a degree, she secretly didn't want the fun to end. However, the constant cloud seeding and the fact that the snow had piled up to almost 4 feet would have made going outside a dangerous endeavor, and given that half of her siblings barely reached over the aforementioned height, they'd most likely get lost in the snow, or God forbid, end up with hypothermia. As such, Lisa had to put an end to her snowball frenzy. Yet, she still kept the launchers and her tank around as she hoped during the next snow day, she could convince her siblings to participate in a full-on snowball war.

"...Looks like I was wrong to make that claim...guess I do have more in common with my siblings than I realize, despite our differences..."

"And haven't you helped your siblings numerous times with your smarts?"

"...That I have...I'm effectively the main reason Lynn is able to play so many sports. She'd fail all of her classes otherwise, though last Sunday she did say she had an issue with my lisp (something I can't help might I add)...Luna has come to me for help quite a few times when she needs it, and her constant guitar riffs make good background noise that block out the explosions that occur in my room on a frequent basis even though her playing gives me an extreme case of tinnitus at times...Luan is an odd case, but I can assist if she really needs it. I still don't like it when she goes completely unhinged on April Fools. For this reason, I've built a bomb shelter in our backyard."

"A _bomb shelter_? Is that necessary?"

"Well, let's just say on one day she rigged a prank in my room that nearly caused the house to explode...my dark sister Lucy and I don't see much in common, as she believes in luck, spirits, and all that nonsense. Still can't fathom how I actually believed her when we visited Grand Venture State Park, but she means well. Perhaps the weirdest case of all is my sister Leni...being that I'm very smart and she's well...I'll just say her lack of intelligence really vexes me at times. However, if I need help in testing something, she's always there for me, even when I've caused her some harm in the past..." Lisa stared at the floor in guilt. She knows Leni cares a lot about her appearance like Lola does, and the 16 year old had been subjected to quite a number of experiments that resulted in a rather odd look at best, or grotesque appearance at worst.

"My other siblings, I'm not very close to I realize...but if I had to admit it, I would say Lincoln is possibly the only other sibling that's close to my level of intelligence. He seems to take careful planning in a lot of things he does, though he has an annoying habit of thinking up overly long names for his so-called 'operations'. He once made a seating chart for a road trip to figure out where the best cushion in the car was. He said it took him 8 months of planning to figure that out, something I'm not surprised at, but it's more than what I've seen from my sisters. Unfortunately...his plan fell to pieces when the rest of us knew about it and tried to claim it for ourselves...not only that, he's also quite perceptive in picking up on when I've been trying to unknowingly test something on my sisters..."

"Speaking of tests...why do you perform so many?"

"...Some of them are to try to find ways to better the world, like some scientists would say. Others...I'm just very curious as to what happens in certain conditions...problem is, I get so caught up in my interests that I just can't help myself...I don't know any other reason for this other than it's for scientific purposes, and I feel disgusted at myself as a result for constantly doing it to my own blood relatives...I just don't know what other reason there could be..."

"But I think I do." Miranda stated, causing the prodigy to look in confusion. "Lisa, you know you're still 4 years old right?"

"Affirmative."

"Which means you're still a toddler, right?"

"Affirmative, but where are you going with...wait a second..." Lisa paused.

The doctor smiled. "Even though you're very smart, you're still a kid at heart. Toddlers are very curious growing up, and as such they like to branch out and explore how the world works. What you're doing is the same as any other kid your age would do, but on a greater scale." She put a hand on Lisa's shoulder. "You aren't a monster by any means. While what you described is a bit...amoral...you're just trying to act your age the best you can."

Lisa blinked for a moment before looking at the ground in thought. Sometimes she felt like a woman trapped in the body of a child, but the truth was that she was still a child through and through. While Lisa was a bit grateful that the college allowed her to teach seeing that she proved her worth, they were still skeptical of her due to the massive age difference. But time and time again, she would shoot down those who despised her by coming up with complex solutions that would baffle the minds of the scientific community. The child prodigy still had connections to high-end organizations such as NASA even. And yet, Lisa still slept with a stuffed animal, liked going to amusement parks, enjoyed pools, secretly enjoyed trips to the mall, and even found herself liking Dream Boat of all things. She even has a small habit out of studying small insects with a magnifying glass like most kids her age would do.

While Miranda's words helped dispel the thoughts she had previously, she still yearned for one thing. "Dr. Lopez...how does one become, 'normal'? I wish to rid myself of my sociopathic tendencies..."

"As far as being normal, I believe that you should try to get outside the house more often. You spend a lot of time in your lab, which is fine for what you're interested in, but it seems you aren't interacting much with anyone. Try attending social groups, hanging out with friends, expressing yourself in your own way...just being yourself could help. But don't try to be someone that you aren't. That usually leads to trouble. One thing that I believe could help you is opening your mind more. You said you shy away from showing any emotion, but you are human Lisa. Humans will naturally express how they feel. You can be happy, sad, angry, upbeat, anything that shows how you are currently feeling. It would also help to try not to look down on others just because you're smarter than they are. Now, believe me when I say that I don't like hanging around stupid people, but I don't denounce them as if I'm better on a frequent basis. While in some cases it may be true, it's not good to come off as being arrogant..."

Lisa nodded in agreement. She had been acting like a snob for a good amount of her three and four year old life. She may be smart, but that didn't necessarily make her a better person. The child genius would have to fix that, and she'd really have to make up a massive apology for all the experimentation she had done to her family. With her brainpower, that task shouldn't be too difficult. However, things are often easier said than done. As far as friends...Lisa would have to think really hard on that subject. Sure, she had some colleagues in the science department, but Dr. Lopez was hoping she'd meet someone within her age group. That alone would be a series of trial and error. When Lisa was in preschool, she hardly had any friends due to her dismissive attitude. Maybe her sisters could help in this task...and maybe Lincoln would definitely be of assistance, if he ever gets over his phobia that is...

"Feeling better?"

Lisa nodded. "Thank you...I definitely have a lot to work on if I ever want to have a decent social life..." She was about to ask if the doctor wanted to speak to another of the family, but then she remembered Lori's words. "Seeing as I'm the last person you'll be meeting today, when are you next available? I can pass that information to the rest of my family."

"My office is open around noon, but is there anything else you want to discuss?"

"Negative...first thing on my mind right now is the huge apology I need to tell my siblings for everything I've done..." Lisa got up from the chair and strolled to the door. "Again, thank you for your time ma'am."

"Remember to take things slow dear. Don't try to rush. Oh, and before you leave, please tell your family when they visit tomorrow that I'd like to see Leni first."

 **A/N: A bit short, but Lisa's sociopathic nature doesn't leave a lot to give. People often see her as being unsympathetic and obnoxious due to her IQ. However, I like her for those reasons as she's also quite down to earth and tends to be very forward with her thoughts. But, I had this feeling that deep down, she regrets every experiment she carried out on her siblings, which annoyed them to no end. We'll see how Leni's session goes, as well as check in on a certain someone.**


	14. Not As Dumb As She Appears

**A/N: Welp, here's where we will take a look into the eyes of possibly the nicest Loud of all. While she may be dense, I believe Leni has more going on in that head of hers than she lets on. I mean, it's not like she's just blissfully unaware of everything that goes on around her, no matter how forgetful she is. But before that, I need to do a spot check.**

 **Also to note, as of this time of writing, this fic is docked at 96,861 views. Considering this fic started out of a dream I had one night after watching Brawl in the Family, I never thought it'd get that far. I predict after I put this up it'll reach probably 103k. So honestly, thanks for the continued support.**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House** **.**

Inside the Loud House, all was eerily quiet. Not a sound could be made, the crickets were either absent or dead, and worst of all, night time made it so dark that you could only see anything with the occasional flash of lightning from the storm raging outside. The only audible sound was the tapping of rain hitting the roof. However, that didn't mean nothing wasn't stirring in the abode. If one were to pay attention closely, they could hear panicked breathing coming from the inside of one of the kitchen cabinets.

Lincoln was clutching Bun-Bun tightly, his whole body shaking not only out of fear, but because he was completely soaked. He had done it again. He made his sisters angry at him with his selfish desires, and this time, they made it very clear they weren't going to forgive him. Tired of feeling overshadowed by his sisters, all he wanted was to put some kind of award in the trophy case to show that he, like his siblings, could get some kind of recognition in the world. It was no surprising that Lynn had sports trophies, Luna had awards in the music business, Lisa's Nobel Prize, Lola's pageant wins, Lori actually had a few awards she had gotten from past Spelling Bees, and even Leni got a certificate at one point for designing such an amazing piece of fabric that it baffled the judges. All of his sisters had gotten an award in some forn, even Lily did a few times (at which Lincoln was still wondering how a _baby_ could earn an award), but for him? He had nothing to show for it.

As such, he sought to earn one by any means, which resulted in a few embarrassing moments. However, once news of a video contest came up at his school, the middle child saw this as his ticket to stardom. Unfortunately for Lincoln, people found a _Hamster-Cam_ of all things more interesting than his cool daredevil stunt, which lead to him going for comedy instead thanks to Luan. Sadly, she didn't mention that he shouldn't post embarrassing moments of his siblings without their consent. Just about all of his school-bound sisters became outcasts as a result, and the worst part? Lincoln _still_ didn't win anything. Lily was the only one spared from this turmoil as she was just an infant. The argument from earlier was clear as day in his head.

* * *

"I literally can't believe you Lincoln! Is _THIS_ what you wanted?!" Lori yelled, showing him the kinds of remarks he got on his video.

The boy quickly shook his head. "N-N-No, I didn't mean-"

"Didn't mean what? To win? To bring us down to _your_ level?! That is such a lie!" Luna shouted.

"I bet he was going to say 'I didn't mean to humiliate you. I just wanted to win a stupid trophy and flaunt it!' Yeah right!" Lynn said in a snarky tone.

"B-But Luan said if I tried comedy, then I might've had a chance..."

"Oh, so you think posting our most embarrassing moments is _FUNNY_?! Even I wouldn't stoop that low!" The comedian barked.

"Look girls, I'm really sorry! Just give me a chance to-" Lincoln started.

"No Lincoln. You have NO chances now. Nothing you say will convince us otherwise that what you did wasn't an act of covetousness." Lisa stated.

"I like, have no brother anymore..." Leni said, turning aloof.

"But, But-" Lincoln's voice was barely above a whisper now.

"Don't you get it you philistine?! We. HATE. YOU!" Lola shouted, making the ashen-haired boy cringe. "And you're going to pay..."

"P-Pay?..." Was all he could get out.

At that point, the lights went out due to the storm intensifying. When Lincoln could finally see a few feet in front of him, his 9 sisters had ominously disappeared. He didn't know what they meant when Lola said he was going to pay, but it didn't take a genius to know it didn't mean anything _good._ Cautiously and quietly running up the stairs, Lincoln thought it'd be best to hide out in his room. He successfully managed to reach it before slamming the door shut. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and thankfully none of his sisters were there. Lincoln sat on his bed, thinking about what he just got himself into. Looking over, Bun-Bun lay peacefully on the pillow. The boy picked it up, staring at it in sadness.

"I've really messed up this time huh?...The girls won't even let me make up for my mistakes..." He gripped the plush in anger for a moment, tears creeping out of his eyes. He then slammed a fist on his bed. "Dang it! Why do I have to be so stupid?!"

Before Lincoln could berate himself any further, his bed began to make a ticking sound. Wondering what it was, he peered under the furniture piece and found his answer: a combination of chemicals linked to a timer. "Why is this under my bed? Could it be a..." The boy's eyes went wide as the answer came to him in a few seconds, and he also had a few seconds before the countdown ended. With Bun-Bun still in his hands, he opened the door before slamming it shut. Said door was soon blown off its hinges in the resulting explosion, throwing Lincoln to the floor. The middle child groaned in pain as he looked at what remained of his room; nothing but ashes and a few flames dancing on what used to be his dresser.

Lincoln blinked twice. "That...that could've..."

"Killed you?" A voice stated.

Looking forward, in the dim light the fires in his room provided, Lincoln could see the fanatic leers of his sisters. And each of them had this look that said they were going to have a fun time for whatever was to come next.

"If that's what you were going to say, then you are correct _former_ male sibling. Sadly, it seems your cunning has once again saved your hide." Lisa pointed out, an evil glare etched on her face.

"When I said you were going to pay, I meant-" Lola started before being interrupted by Lynn.

"WITH YOUR BLOOD!" The athlete was now riding on her dirt bike, with a mace in her hands.

Lincoln's pupils shrank as his sister came at him. He stuffed Bun-Bun in his pocket before leaping over his 13-year old sibling, making her crash into a wall. Lisa threw another combination of chemicals that were extremely volatile, detonating behind the poor boy and making his shirt catch fire momentarily. Lola then threw one of her stuffed animals at him. The little bear suddenly came to life mid-flight and latched onto his face, pounding on it mercilessly. Lincoln screamed out, even though the hits didn't hurt as much due to it being a plush toy. Grabbing the bear, he saw Luna had one of her speakers set up, and she was about to play a chord. Thinking quick, Lincoln grabbed the bear and threw it at her. This caused the toy to start hitting the musician now, distracting her long enough the boy to slip past. The 15 year old finally did strum her guitar on accident, and Lincoln gulped as he saw the sound wave produce a sizable hole in the wall.

Lincoln saw he was close to the stairs now. If he could get to the lower levels of the house, he could find a decent spot to hide in. Sadly, he never got that chance as he spotted Lucy's bats perched on the ceiling. All Lucy had to do was utter a few words to get them to give chase. Being forced to continue down the hall, bats nipping at his head, he almost got smashed into the floor by Lori and Leni, using one of their beds to do so. The ashen-haired boy slowed down for a moment to catch his breath, but even then he didn't get a moment of peace as Luan suddenly appeared out of her and Luna's room with a pie full of spikes in her hands. Lincoln ducked instantly as it impacted the wall, the comedian laughing even though she failed to get her prize. The boy quickly ran into the bathroom and locked the door shut.

He panted as he forced air back into his lungs. "All...this...over a video contest?...Hah...hah..." The boy jumped, dodged, pushed, and shoved past just about all of his sisters to avoid being turned into a mutilated corpse, but he figured he should be safe in the bathroom. One flash of lightning from outside proved him otherwise.

"You may have gotten this far Lincoln," Lana said, her hands on a large wrench that was connecting to the sink's pipe, "But you can't dodge this!" She pulled, loosening a nut that held the pipe together. Water started flowing out of the pipe like a busted fire hydrant, literally blowing a screaming Lincoln through the bathroom door and back out into the warzone of a hallway. However, the pressure was so great that it blew him past his sisters and down the stairs. The boy landed in a heap at the bottom, coughing out any water he accidentally breathed in.

"Oh Lincoln~! Where are you~?!" He heard his sisters asked in unison. The 11 year old got to his feet in an instant and ran into the kitchen, opening up the first cabinet closest to him and stepping inside.

* * *

"I knew they might be mad...but I didn't think they'd try to _murder_ me over it..." A stream of tears went down Lincoln's cheeks. "I don't want to die...I don't want to die..." A crashing sound in the kitchen made him hush his voice. Opening the door ever so slightly, he could see a few of his sisters searching around, tossing things every which way in the hunt for their prey. When one of them turned their heads in the direction he was hiding, he quickly closed the door. Lincoln held his breath, hoping none of them heard him or saw the door move. He heard a pair of feet walk up to his cabinet before stopping. Sweat fell profusely from the boy's forehead as he thought he'd been found. Fortunately, he heard the cabinet door _above_ him open before slamming shut. It wasn't long before Lincoln heard his sisters walk out of the kitchen, grumbling something he couldn't quite make out.

The middle child finally released his breath after a minute, believing the worst to be over. Yet, fate liked to toy with him in this instance. Not a second later, an axe splintered through his door before ripping it off its hinges. Lana shook the debris off her toy before raising it again. "Found ya!" She shouted gleefully.

Lincoln screamed like a little girl before moving his head out of the way, the axe cutting off the part of his hair that stood upright. Having little choice, he kicked Lana out of the way before sprinting into another run. The other sisters noticed this and hastily threw a variety of objects at him. Lincoln quickly opened the basement door and slammed it shut, weapons, kitchen utensils, and even a chair pummeling against the frame. Now, just like that time he accidentally caused a blackout in the house due to a tripped circuit breaker, he was still afraid of going in alone. The boy didn't have Luan's camera to help him this time either, but it was either hide in the dark creepy basement, or face annihilation at the hands of his sisters.

Slowly making his way down, Lincoln's foot caught something circular before losing his footing. The boy grunted in pain as he tumbled down the steps before coming to a stop. Feeling around for a moment, he found what he stepped on was a flashlight; by some miracle, it still worked. Twisting and turning, Lincoln looked to make sure he was alone. All he saw was some dirty laundry, the washer and dryer, Cliff's scratching post and litterbox, and the boiler. Giving a small sigh, Lincoln sat down in the small light the device gave him.

He looked to Bun-Bun, his only companion at this point. "At least you'll never turn on me...but then again, your just a plushy..."

Giggling could be heard to his right after he said this. Picking up the light, Lincoln was shocked to see his nine sisters. "H-How...How'd you...?"

"You didn't think we'd find a way in eventually did you?" Lori smirked.

"Gotta admit, you got some sick moves bro, but that isn't the last trick we got." Luna added.

"W-What do you mean?" Lincoln said, slowly backing away from his siblings.

"Look in your hand." Lisa ordered.

Looking down, Lincoln saw his beloved stuffed animal. Suddenly, it shook violently before jumping out of his hands. The boy's mouth went agape at what happened next. Mechanical parts began to sprout from the plush toy as it grew in size. Hands turned into claws, feet turned into metal paws, and Bun-Bun's mouth became a mix of stuffing and metal, the most prominent being the several rows of teeth. Some extra appendages sprouted from its back as the now humongous plush/robot reached the ceiling. A pair of red eyes soon activated before setting their sites on Lincoln.

"N-No...not you Bun-Bun...please, n-not you!..." Lincoln's voice trembled, a mix of sadness and fear plastered on his face.

"It would've been easier if you let us finish you off Lincoln, but since you just had to make it hard for us, I decided to add a contingency plan if we couldn't catch you. I knew your infatuation with that toy would lead you to carry it along. And now, it'll be your downfall." Lisa explained, causing the other girls to laugh evilly.

The mutated plush let out an unholy animalistic scream that was mixed with grinding metal before lunging towards Lincoln. The 11 year old screamed in pure terror as he tried to make a run for it. Sadly, he was within the robot's grasp in seconds. Gripping him tightly, Lincoln could do nothing as Bun-Bun gazed emptily at him before opening it's massive mouth. Lincoln shook his head, tearing running freely as he didn't want to see what was about to happen. There was nothing he could do to prevent this outcome, and the fact his sisters were laughing at his misery made it worse. After positioning his body in its maw, Lincoln screamed in pure terror as the several rows of teeth swung down on him...

* * *

A loud shriek resounded throughout a certain room in Royal Woods General. It was so loud that you could hear it in the halls and in a few adjacent rooms. Lincoln looked around frantically with his tear-stained face to find that he was back in the hospital. Breathing heavily and drenched in a cold sweat, he found the TV was still on after having fallen asleep the other night, and there was a little bit of sunlight streaming through the closed blinds. The boy checked his body and was thankfully glad to not find any puncture holes, just his arm cast. He started to calm down, until he saw Bun-Bun resting at his side. Letting out another terrified scream, the boy threw the plushy across the room, where it made a barely audible poof sound.

Lincoln was used to the fact he's having nightmares about his siblings almost every time he falls asleep, but that had to be his worst night terror yet. Since the doctors knew what he was dealing with, they gave him some sleeping pills that would leave his mind blank whenever he fell asleep. However, at times they didn't seem to work, instead only making his dreams worse as he found himself unable to wake up until he was about ready to cry to the heavens. In fact, he had taken such pills just before going to sleep yesterday. A foul smell reached Lincoln's nose, at which he finally took notice of a wet spot on the bed. Lifting the covers up, the 11 year old realized he cried so much that he actually peed himself. Sniffling a little, he grabbed some wet wipes to clean his area before discarding them. Lincoln then curled up on the bed, clearly haunted by the recurring nightmares his phobia was causing.

Minutes later, Lynn Sr. walked in to see a very disturbed little boy. "Not again..." He muttered, pulling up a chair. The father placed a gentle hand on his son's shoulder to give him some level of comfort. "Had another nightmare son?" Lincoln nodded.

The patriarch then noted Lincoln's favorite plushy several feet away. "Was it _that_ bad?" The boy nodded again. Lynn Sr. was having a hard time trying to find anything positive out of this. His only son was dealing with frequent nightmares and he had no idea how to end them. Maybe Lily could spend more time with him, but the father wasn't sure if it'd completely quell the middle child's fear. And even with the girls' good intentions, Lincoln couldn't let them be within his sight without freaking out. His best hope at this point, was that Ms. Lopez could get through to Lincoln.

"Well...on the bright side, you won't be in the hospital for much longer. Doctor said you could be released in about a week."

"...I don't want to go home..." Lincoln finally spoke, his voice a whisper.

"Hmm?"

"...I don't want to go home dad...I just can't...I just...can't..." His voice was breaking again. "Every time I fall asleep...it...it gets w-worse..." Lincoln started to cry again.

Lynn wiped away his son's tears. "I know son...that's why you're not going home with me and your mother." This caused the boy to look at his father, clearly confused. "Given that you're still afraid of...you know...we felt it'd be best if you stayed with the McBrides for a while, at least until this whole thing is cleared up...trust me son, we don't like not having around for much longer than anticipated, but we're afraid you might hurt yourself if you were around the house so soon after getting out of the clinic...also, we're getting you some help for your nightmares. It'll be a while, but we think she can help."

Lynn then ruffled his son's hair as the boy digested this information. He wasn't going straight home after the hospital released him...that was good. He was also apparently going to get some help for his nightmares...also good, as long as it didn't mean taking anymore sleeping pills. But, what did his father mean when he said he might hurt himself? Lincoln knew his nightmares were giving him hell, but he didn't think he'd do anything crazy, or even worse...right?...

* * *

While Lynn Sr. was visiting his son, Rita was driving the rest of her kids to see Dr. Lopez. Since it was said that Leni would be the first one up today, the blonde couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. Aside from going shopping, Leni wasn't well accustomed to being by herself when going into new places. Sure, 2 of her other sisters went before her, but Lori and Lisa each held of look of deep thought upon returning. It didn't help that they wouldn't discuss what they talked about until Dr. Lopez spoke with all of them. It wasn't long before the second oldest Loud found herself walking down the hall to Miranda's office. Slowly opening the door, she poked her head in to find the psychologist sitting in her chair.

"You must be Leni Loud I'm guessing?"

"Like, how'd you know my name?"

"Well, you are the second oldest child, right?"

"Yeah I think so..." Leni was still standing in the doorway.

"Well, come on in Leni. I know you're probably shy about this, but we're just here to talk. Be sure to close the door behind you."

Leni nodded before gently shutting the door. She took a seat opposite of her therapist, fiddling with her shades a little.

"Now Leni, from what I've learned, it can be hard for you to understand or pay attention at times, so I'm going to explain this to you very carefully, ok?" Miranda stated.

"Ok." Leni replied, before a thought came to her. "Wait, hang on. I gotta take something first." She then took a small bottle of water out of her hair along with a small case. Miranda got a little confused as Leni opened the case to reveal a few pills. She popped one in her mouth, grimacing at the taste, before taking a drink to make it go down easier. Both sat in silence for a few moments before Leni finally spoke. "Ok, I can totes focus clearer now."

"Uh, what was it that you took?"

"Oh. Those were just some pills my parents keep putting in my smoothies. They think I don't notice them doing it, but I totes do. As far as I know, these pills help me stay focused for a few hours..."

 _"So Leni_ is _more aware of her condition that previously thought. Unknown if she knows exactly the type of disability she has..."_ The psychologist thought as she jotted this down. "Ok then...to not waste any time, what we're about to discuss is just the thoughts you have over this whole situation your family is in. Now, you can make use of this information on your own, but if you wish to keep it secret then I won't relay it to anyone else. Ok?"

Leni nodded.

"So Leni, how do you feel?"

"Well, it's a little drafty in here, but I do like your office. Also, I like totally love your scraf, it looks so cute on you! But now I'm not sure if I have the right wardrobe to fit this setting..." Leni finished as she looked at her own dress.

"No no, I mean, how do you feel about the current situation your family is in?"

"Oh...that...well, it's like, the worst thing I've ever seen. First it started with me and Lori fighting over a dress. So what if I just happened to buy the same one as her?! I wasn't gonna just take it back! So, me and her like, stopped talking with each other for a while, then Linky tried to help and..." Leni paused, shifting uneasily, "...he ended up making things worse for us..."

"How so?"

"Well...I know he just wanted to help. I would totally help him in a lot of situations, but on that day...well, I would've taken his advice if he didn't mention that Lori said I looked washed out in blue, and the part where she made fun of me behind my back due to the fact my skin can't tan..." The blonde frowned.

Miranda flipped back a few pages in her book. "I see...your other sister had mentioned this before. Anything else?"

"After that...our fighting got worse, then our other sisters started fighting after me and Lori told them our sides of the story. Then like, at some point we got to Erupting Volcano and _everyone_ was fighting...by the time it was over, we all made up...once Linky was gone for the night..." Leni started to sniffle a bit. "I'm sorry, but...I like, just can't talk about what happened next...I can't even _believe_ what happened after that..." The poor girl was on the verge of breaking down.

"Don't worry Leni. This is all on you. If you don't wish to talk about certain instances, we won't." Miranda then handed her a box of tissues.

Leni took them with thanks before wiping her face clean. "I just can't believe I got so angry at poor Linky...I hardly get mad at my brother...I mean, I have a few times, but not all the time...and I'm usually nice to all of my sisters...though me and Lori do get into arguments a lot..."

"Is your relationship with Lori somewhat...odd?"

"Odd as in?"

"Well, how often do you both fight?"

"Well, quite a lot...but don't get me wrong, we're still close. We even share the same room after all, though sometimes she can be a bit too bossy and selfish, like the time she had us doing her chores so she'd take us for rides...that's why my younger sisters and brother helped train me for my next driving test, though I really think I should've taken my pills then...and I think she takes advantage of my dumb moments at times. But that's only because I'm not my medication all the time."

"Interesting..." Miranda noted. "Now, you've mentioned your pills quite frequently now, and it seems you take them at an irregular basis. Why is that?"

"Well...I don't like the taste for one, plus it gives me like, a super headache when it stops working...along with the fact I usually forget to take them regularly. My parents put them in my smoothies, but I don't actually swallow them all the time, so they end up being thrown out...I know my sisters can get mad at me for not being that smart, but there's more in my head than just air! I swear! Even Lisa said I have a brain in there!" Leni folded her arms. "I may not show it much...but it hurts you know?...It hurts when most of your family treats you like a baby or gets mad at you for not following simple instructions...I don't know what's making me forget stuff constantly, I really don't...I've had shoes missing, clothes missing, and as such I like, keep forgetting where I put my pill case."

The blonde gave a small sigh. "I can still remember some of my idiot moments, like the time I thought Lily's crib was a prison, the fact I thought I was blind when my eyes were closed, or the time I thought there was a solar eclipse because my shades were down, or the time I thought our kitchen was in the mall (and I was like, so mad at Luan for that prank...) and that's just a few examples. I could go all day about my dumb moments...by some miracle I found my pills in my dresser last night. If I didn't, we likely wouldn't be having this conversation..."

 _"Sad to see a nice girl like her have to suffer so much..."_ The doctor noted. "If there was one thing you could change, what would it be?"

Leni shuffled a little in her seat. "...I want my family to stop treating me like I'm an older Lily...I know they make stuff sim...sim...simpler for my sake, but I'm 16! I'm not a child anymore! Sure...I can be tricked quite easily at times...but it hurts when they use that against me! Even when I'm being a bit dumb, I'm still smart in certain things."

"Such as?"

"Well, I'm totally into fashion and design, and I could make almost any piece of fabric into clothing. Like, a couple times I turned Christmas decorations into a nice dress, though mom doesn't like it when I do that...but the reason I do it is because it's the only thing I have the best understanding of and helps me keep a wider focus on things when I'm not taking my pills. I once actually made a bed frame for Lori when she told me to make her bed."

"Wait, so you actually _designed_ a newer frame when all she wanted was for you to organize her sheets?"

Leni nodded. "I can also pick locks and make the best smoothies."

Miranda wrote this down. "Well, if what you say is true, then you might have a decent career in creative design Leni."

"Really?!" The blonde smiled.

The doctor nodded. "Now, given what we've discussed, you have insecurities about being viewed as the idiot in your family, harsh as that sounds. The easiest way to change this is by remembering to take your medication. Normally I would keep this closed but since you are aware of what your parents are doing, you'll have to tell them that you know they've been slipping meds into your drinks. However, in order to be not be viewed as 'the dumb one', I would suggest taking your medication more often. If you start to forget, remind yourself to leave a note out that will convince you take it again in the future. Also, you mentioned they only last for a few hours. Mind if I see your case?"

Leni pulled her small case out and handed it to the doctor. Miranda took one of the pills out and examined it carefully. Little did most know, the Hispanic woman has a minor in medicine as well, just incase her psychology job didn't work out. "Hmm...these are decent, but for you I think a stronger stimulant would be more beneficial."

"A stim...what?"

"Basically something that will increase a certain part of your brain to help you focus better. A preferably one that gives you less side effects..."

"Oh, Oh." Leni took her case back. "But...what can I do to help Lincoln? He's completely afraid of me and my sisters now...and I didn't even mean to hurt him..."

"That...is something that's yet to be determined. I'm sorry Leni, but until I can speak with your brother myself, I don't know how you can help him..."

"Ok..." Leni replied sadly. "...But what do I do now?"

"Don't worry dear. When the time comes, we'll have everyone in the room so you guys can tell each other your deepest thoughts. You are free to leave, but..." Miranda paused to look over her notes. "Could you please ask Luan to come in? I have two instances where she's done some rather...outlandish pranks, and I'd like to discuss them with her."

 **A/N: Sorry that Lincoln's nightmare had taken up half of Leni's chapter, but some wanted to see how he's been doing since chapter 9. As you can see, he's still going through some hell right now. But, at least he now knows he won't go to his own house once he leaves the hospital. Also, for anyone who may have picked it up, the part where Lincoln is dodging around in the hallway is a direct homage to the show's intro, albeit more sinister and nightmarish. And yes, I had to add Bun-Bun in on the nightmare because it shows just how bad his fears are getting. As for the rabbit's nightmare appearance, just imagine something like one of the animatronics from Five Nights At Freddy's 4. Never played the game because I don't like the franchise in general, but I've seen the pictures...**

 **As for Leni, I thought it'd be interesting for her to know that her parents are giving her meds. But she doesn't take them all the time, which results in her dim moments in the show. Her session was somewhat hard due to the fact she's so likable, but I think I made it work. As for Luan...we'll cover why she constantly goes overboard with her pranks. I also have an idea for Luna as well.**


	15. Memoirs From The Joker

**A/N: Leni sure was right when she said she had more than just air in her head. Too bad she often forgets to take her pills. But, hopefully thanks to Ms. Lopez, she'll remind herself to take them so she won't forget about it. Now, let's look at the comedian of the family. Luan herself is a very divisive characters since she's loved for her jokes and sense of humor and hated due to the fact she goes overboard on a certain holiday and can be a bit sadistic at times. Let's see find out why she does those things and how she can improve herself.**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

Miranda looked over her past sessions to prepare herself for the next client. It was rather surprising that Leni was actually smarter than her family initially pointed out. They all believed that she was just this kind girl who had a dim outlook on a lot of things. The doctor originally had the same thought, but under that kind and happy texture was a girl who was frustrated and deeply upset at the treatment she's been receiving for much of her life. The Louds were certainly proving to be a interesting family. From Lisa who secretly wished to be normal to Lori wanting to be viewed as a cool, big sister to her siblings, it made Miranda wonder what else the family was hiding from each other. But now, it seemed Dr. Lopez might be coming across a rather troubling Loud.

According to 2 of her sisters, Luan was rather annoying due to her constant puns and pranking, which the 14 year old dialed up to 11 on April Fools. Even the parents had shared similar sentiments. Miranda was taking this info with a grain of salt until Luan herself opened up, but if she did do these claims, the doctor would have to find out one important aspect: what is the reason behind these massive prank attacks?

Someone soon knocked on the door before a brunette-haired girl with braces poked her head in. "Dr. Lopez?"

"Yes. I'm guessing you're Luan?"

"Yes I am! Luan Loud, at your service. I'd make a joke right now but...I'm banned from doing anything comedy related..." The joker explained, giving a small frown.

"Don't worry. Your father did explain to me the extent of everyone's punishments. But I'll see if I can turn that frown upside down." Miranda quipped.

Luan gave a small chuckle before shutting the door and making her way to the lounge chair.

"So Luan, from what I've heard, you're the family's comedian?"

"Yep! I live and breathe it, as the price for laughter is getting everyone to smile!"

"Would you say that you're pretty good at it?"

"For the most part yes. I run, well... _used_ to run a website called Luan Out Loud's Comedy Channel, a video channel hosting my various comedy routines. I also used to run a side business where I hosted as a clown for birthday parties. Not only that, I practiced ventriloquism, juggling, balloon animals, Miming, some baking on the side, and of course, cracking jokes." Luan proudly stated. "But...sadly I can't do any of those anymore..."

"I see. Well, to get us started, I want to get to know you better. I want to understand, how did you become Luan Loud."

The brunette nodded. "Fire away admiral."

"So...when exactly did you start practicing comedy? And on that note, why did it interest you so much?"

Luan scratched her head as she looked up at the ceiling. "Welp...I started getting into comedy when I was 7. During one day at school, I accidentally slipped on a banana peel and crashed into a teacher, making him fall on his butt. A lot of people laughed afterwards, and like most kids, I was embarrassed by it...I didn't think it was _that_ funny, but others said I was hilarious in a good way. Before then...I hardly had any friends, and most people made fun of me because of my teeth...it's the reason why I wear braces to be honest..." The joker rubbed her buck teeth. "You know what my name was back in elementary school? It wasn't Luan Loud, it was Brace Face...I used to hide my teeth by wearing a fake smile mask sometimes, but it didn't work...even today some still call me that horrid name. I don't let it bother me as much as I used to, but I still get annoyed just by people mentioning my teeth...probably more than those stupid preppy girls who made fun of my so-called fashion sense, but still..."

"I'm no stranger to those situations. I've had a couple kids in the past who had visited me due to similar circumstances..." Dr. Lopez admitted.

"So when I accidentally made a fool of myself, I suddenly became a class clown. All the attention I got, it felt...intoxicating I guess? If others were going to see me as some sort of comedian, then I figured I might as well give them what they want. I hit it off quite well as a practical joker. I used my own allowance to buy gags and do small time pranks on others, and sometimes on myself in the midst of my small time career. But...over time I got too absorbed with the praise and got very cocky, and an attitude. I don't want to go into the details, but let's just say on one April Fools day I accidentally caused one of the school's water pipes to burst and it flooded half the building." Luan laughed nervously. "Oooh boy, I got such a grounding after that and was lucky enough to not get expelled."

"How'd you manage to do that?"

"It was part of a prank?" The comedian smiled sheepishly.

 _"Gonna need to get down to the reasoning behind these large scale pranks..."_ Miranda noted. "What happened when you returned to school?"

Luan's face contorted into another frown. "When I got back...instead of being appreciated as the class clown, I was shunned by the entire school for months...not only was I called Brace Face, but I got a new name as well...Ms. Pipe-for-brains, plus the added question of other kids asking me if I was ready for a flood. That was because I only wore a skirt..." The 14 year old gave a small blush at that.

"Mmm...I'm guessing this continued all throughout elementary?"

"Somewhat...I had a lot of time to think about where I went wrong, and after some advice from dad and doing some digging, I realized there was more to comedy than just cheap tricks and pranks. I didn't realized it at first, but despite everything that happened, I _liked_ making others laugh. They usually say that laughter is the best medicine, and in order to do that, I had to learn to not only get others to laugh, I had to learn to laugh at _myself_. Since then, I started getting more into comedy, making puns, practicing juggling, and when I was 9, I purchased my first ventriloquist dummy, Colonel Crackers. He...wasn't really working out, so over time I dumped him for a better dummy, my beloved Mr. Coconuts..." Luan sighed. "I hope he's ok living in a storage box..."

"So you've been practicing comedy since then, up until this point?"

Luan nodded. "I gotta say I've really stepped up my game since I was little. I've gotten better at making jokes, am a certified clown (I even met my friend Giggles at a Clown School), so I just love making little kids birthday parties quite entertaining. But one of my best acts is upping my pranking game. I've gotten plenty of good simple pranks to even some large scale ones."

Miranda tilted her glasses. "Care to list any examples?"

"Well, there's the simple pale on the door trick and the shaving cream/feather prank, but it's the biggest ones I save for my favorite holiday: April Fools." Luan giggled.

The 14 year old then went into detail on some of the pranks she had put out on that specific holiday for the past few years. Such acts included nailing all of the house furniture to the ceiling, covering the house in wrapping paper, trapping her siblings in jello, shaving off her sisters' eyebrows (even the pet's fur), timed flour bombs that would cover an entire room with the substance, misleading signs, embarrassing videos, sticky tape traps, and generally almost any pranks she wouldn't pull on a typical day. Miranda was quite surprised at the length of the list Luan was giving, and surmised that the other sisters' claims were very much true.

"Well, it seems you r-really enjoy April Fools Day." The doctor said nervously.

"Well duh! It's the only time of the year I get to go all out and unleash the prankpocolypse I have planned. I'm still wondering what to do for next year..."

"Ok, but let me ask this Luan: I know you enjoy the holiday, but does your family share the same sentiments?"

Luan scratched her head. "Well, they used to when I was younger, but over time they started to take measures to avoid my pranks. Lisa even built a bomb shelter in our backyard for the holiday. I think that's a tad overboard but, they can't avoid the Master Prankster forever." Luan laughed.

"I see..." Miranda looked over her previous notes. "Luan, this may be a bit personal but...do your siblings not find you funny at times?"

"Well, not quite...they..." The comedian remembered all the times her siblings would just groan at the puns she made, some of which were understandable as the joke was clear as day, but some of the jokes she made could've knocked their socks off. Luan just didn't understand why her siblings didn't find them to be funny. Sure, there were a few occasions where they all had a good laugh, but this was few and far between. The only person in the house who seemed to laugh at every joke she made was her father, but that was only because they both have a shared sense of humor. It didn't help that at times Luan would also crack a joke during the most inappropriate times, and that says nothing about her pranks. "Ok you got me...they usually just groan at my jokes..."

"And if they don't seem to enjoy April Fools like you do, why go through with these large scale pranks if your family wants no part in them?"

"I just thought it'd be funny. I mean, you gotta admit, the wrapping paper joke was gold."

"Well yes. I'll give you credit for the amount of dedication you put into your work, but I think it's clear that while you certainly enjoy the spirit of the holiday, your family certainly doesn't. I'm not too familiar with the rules of comedy, but I think you can help me with this one. Imagine that you're the headliner and your family is the audience."

Luan nodded.

"I'm not sure if there are any rules to performing comedy, but is there some advice you can give?"

"Easy. The basic rule of comedy is that both you and your audience must have a good time. You can have a good time telling all the puns, but your audience has to be able to understand it so they can get a good laugh."

Miranda wrote this down. "I see...but during the last April Fools day, was your family laughing when you pulled pranks on them?"

The teen hesitated for a moment. "...No?"

"So when you pulled pranks on that holiday, you were the only one laughing, correct?"

"...Yes?" Luan said, guilt creeping into her tone.

"So from the sound of it, it seems you've forgotten your own rule. I think you were at best pranking your family for your own enjoyment. Now, while your pranks have been top notch and unusual, they could also be potentially harmful. What if the furniture you nailed to the ceiling had come down on someone? The ceiling isn't exactly as stable as the ground floor after all, nor suitable for holding a 300 pound piece of furniture. Also, what if your siblings ended up suffocating in the gelatin? Also from last April, you said your brother had been attacked by raccoons from a prank you set up. What if one of them had rabies? Did you think about the potential consequences?" The doctor questioned.

Luan looked at the floor in shame. She didn't realize that while her April Fools shenanigans were largely for her enjoyment, she didn't see the possible side effects her siblings could've gotten from them. Usually after every April Fools day, her sisters and brother shunned her for a few weeks, and she was grounded by her parents. But in the end, Luan thought it was worth it and they'd get over it soon enough, and she had an opportunity to out-do herself next year. But after going into detail about it with the therapist...Luan realized she looked more like a sadistic loon who took joy in causing harm to others for a cheap laugh. "N-no...I h-hadn't looked at it that way..." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Dr. Lopez saw that the girl was almost on the verge of crying, so she lent her the tissue box. One of the things she didn't like about her job was giving people the hard truth, because even she herself knew it was hard to face facts than to lie to yourself that everything was ok. "Sorry about that Luan...but it had to be said..."

"I-It's fine...I...I just didn't realize it myself...I loved April Fools Day so much that I didn't care if someone got hurt as long as I found it funny...and last A-April, I made Lincoln go through all of my pranks when he wanted to hide in his room..." She could remember the hurt and irritated look Lincoln had on his damaged face, not to mention his missing eyebrows, nearly bald head, black eye, sour lips, and his foot was stuck in a bucket. All because she invited Ronnie Anne over as she knew that would force him out of hiding. Luan had to admit that this was low, even for her. What was even worse, she set up misleading signs about the kitchen _specifically_ for Leni because she knew the blonde was dumb enough to fall for it. Leni ended up out in the middle of the city by the time her family found her, where anything could've happened to her. The dam was starting to burst as tears streamed down Luan's cheeks when she realized she deliberately put her dim sister in danger of being taken advantage of.

"I'm so sorry guys...I'm so sorry...what kind of sister just sits there and laughs as she causes o-others pain?...W-Why didn't they stop me?...W-Why didn't mom and dad do something?!" Luan sniffled.

Miranda watched Luan started to cry into her hands. "Did your family do anything to try to convince you to not go through with it?"

"Oh wait, they did try to reason with me!" Luan yelled, startling the psychologist. "They even locked me in a cage knowing what could happen! But what did I do?! I just brushed them aside just to see my pranks come true!" More tears started flowing out, the guilt obviously taking its toll on her. "How could I do this to my own family...my parents are too afraid to stop me from doing any pranks until its too late...is that it?...Is my family too afraid to stop me when I get like this?..." Luan wiped her eyes a little. "...I don't want them to end up like Lincoln...I just...I can't let them end up like him..."

"Luan...I can assure you that your family isn't afraid of you in the same fashion that your brother is..."

"Then tell me Ms. Lopez...why can't they do anything? It's literally 12 against 1...they all could've done something to stop me...or am I just too much of a monster for them to do much?..." Luan curled into a ball on the furniture.

"That, I can't answer Luan. But that's something we're going to figure out...when you see your family on April Fools day, it's clear that you don't see them as the same family members you've lived with your entire life. I feel that there is a bigger reason as to why you are the way you are on April Fools Day...and I believe it stems from your past."

Luan perked her head up. "...My past?"

"You said yourself you had a hard time in grade school. You're free to correct me if I'm wrong on this but please bear with me. From what I believe, the reason you keep doing the things you do on April Fools is because you've been bottling up the hurt and anger you've gained from the constant teasing and ridicule by your peers. You wish to get back at them, but know you are unable to do so without consequence. It probably doesn't help that your siblings don't find your jokes funny most of the time, and as a result you turn your anger onto them when that day comes...is that right, or wrong?"

Luan stared back at the floor. While it was true that she hated the teasing she received long ago, she didn't think it would affect her all the way up to this point. She still saw herself as a monster who just pranked her family on the side for some extra laugh on top of the funny acts she performs for kids and her viewers online. What would others think if they saw this side of her?...The comedian didn't have a clear understanding as to why she would go nuts on April Fools, believing she just had a major itch to get rid of by the time April 1st arrives. But the more she thought over Miranda's words...the more it made sense. Luan wished to prank the utter hell out of all of those who constantly berated her for something she can't control, something make those bullies come to fear her and make them eat their words. However, such time has passed and she wasn't exactly much of a fighter. Luan may have forgotten what the bullies looked like, but she could never forget their harsh words, no matter how hard she tried. She found that outlet of revenge from her scared family, relishing in the fact they were powerless to stop her and lived in fear of her next big prank.

"...It's true...it has to be true...I loved the fact that my family was too powerless to do anything to stop me...I think at times, I didn't see them as family members...just the bullies I had years ago...putting me in a cage last April probably enforced this, not to mention the puns they made against me...I thought I didn't deserve to be treated like that...it just brought up one instance where I had been shoved into a locker...I begged for hours for someone to get me out, but it wasn't until school ended that one of the teachers finally found me in there...I felt the exact same way when my sisters and brother locked me in a cage...they all just laughed and refused, just like my bullies...I actually cried a bit during the night...but I grew angry and promised to make them all pay for that deed. Yet despite all that, the horrible conclusion was that I deserved _Every. Second. Of it_ for treating my family so horribly...worst of all, I took advantage of my brother's own feelings that day too...after all the pranks he went through, I was gonna have Ronnie Anne cap it by pieing him in the face...if I knew I was going to end up like this...I would've given up trying to be funny a long time ago..."

"Possibly...but what else could you be good at Luan? You've invested so heavily in the art that it seems pretty hard to imagine you doing something else." Miranda pointed out.

The 14 year old shook her head. "I...I don't know..."

"While you are very regretful of your actions, you still want to make kids happy right?"

The brunette nodded.

"And you still like to perform various acts for your social blog right?"

"...Yes?..."

"And do you wish to make it up to your family? Do you want to promise them that you won't go overboard next time April Fools rolls around?"

"More than anything..."

"Then Luan...you're still a dedicated comedian. You are NOT a monster...sure you have mis-aimed your hidden rage towards your family, but if you were being bullied, you could've at least talked with them about it. Have you done so in the past?"

The teen shook her head. "...I was too afraid to talk about it..."

"Well, it's not too late to bring it up. After all, that's why you are here correct?"

The girl nodded. "I want to make amends with my whole family...especially Lincoln...during the whole sister protocol incident, I almost beat him up once...but thankfully Lana hog-tied me before that happened...but that didn't last...I owe both Lincoln and Leni a serious apology for taking advantage of their feelings and smarts. And it's not just them, but my entire family..." She paused for a few moments. "...I have an idea how to do it, but it may take some time..."

"You can take as much time as you need dear. But the good thing is, you've recognized what the issue is, and how to solve it. And remember, I can keep this information private if you wish."

Luan shook her head. "N-No...I have to do this myself."

The doctor nodded. "Anything else you need to get off your mind Luan?"

"No thanks doctor. But thank you for helping me see my real problems." Luan gave a small smile, wiping her eyes. "Now, I'm guessing you want to talk with another of my sisters?"

"Yes..." Miranda stated, looking through her notes. "Please send in...Luna."

 **A/N: I always saw Luan as an interesting character. While she initially had been disliked due to April Fools Rules, she got a better standing in Funny Business which showed that she does have a lighter side to her comedy hours. However, after watching Fools Paradise, I feel that for some she went back to April Fools Rules territory for how needlessly cruel she was to her family in the name of getting a cheap laugh. I didn't bring it up in her session because it would've been the same thing. I mean, the girl approaches amoral territory twice in that episode, with trying to bury Lily in laundry, something that could harm the infant, and then she purposely laced the pies Lana fell into with something she's allergic to. If that doesn't make Luan look like a total bitch then she's just rubbing salt on the wound in that regard.**

 **However, not much is known about Luan in her earlier life. While she discovered comedy at a young age, that says nothing about her school life. She could've been ridiculed for her looks, which most kids are these days and wanted to try to find a way to break out from her public image. While she learned from her mistakes in comedy, she had been harboring that anger from the teasing for years, and as such she uses April Fools as an outlet. The fact her family thinks her puns are lame caused an accidental target shift to where Luan would purposely take her anger out on them without even realizing it, but thankfully, our little comedian is now aware of this. Ironically, while in this story she had a peaceful means of coming to terms with her pranking habits on that holiday, the same can't be said for my other story, which will involve a bit of...persuasion :P**

 **Now, several of you have been waiting for Luna to get her chance since she's this close relationship to Lincoln, so we'll see how she feels.**


	16. A Musician's Shortcomings

**A/N: Welp, we now know why Luan is very prank happy on a particular holiday. Someone like her really didn't need to go through what she suffered from during her early school days. But, at least she now knows that she can depend on her family in these uncertain times. If only she spoke to them sooner about her problems...**

 **Now, let's take a look at Luna's perspective on the whole situation. Apologies in advance if the chapter seems overrated, because we all know that whole thing with Lincoln and Luna being close but not actually have much canon evidence. She's so likable there isn't much wrong with her outside of a few things. But, I did notice one key aspect Luna and Lincoln have in common after watching two episodes.**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

Luan had her arms crossed, a frown etched on her face, as she returned to the main lobby. At first, the comedian had been nervous about her session as each sister that went before her came back with a troubled look, as if they just bore witness to something terrible. But now she understood why...her sisters also had some hidden issues that they largely kept to themselves. Luan felt her stomach churn as the guilt she had reminded her of its presence. All of those pranks she pulled on April Fools Day...she couldn't bare to look her family in their faces after realizing everything she did. The others grew concerned for her, seeing as she was rather optimistic just an hour ago.

"You ok sis?" Luna asked.

"Not really...I'm just thinking things over...also, Ms. Lopez wants to see you." Luan cast a look at her roommate.

Luna gave a small frown. "Alright then...let's see what the doc's got in store for this baggage case..." The 15 year old got up from her seat and walked down the hall.

Rita took the vacant seat next to her daughter, seeing as she looked more troubled than Lori, Leni, and Lisa when they came out of their sessions. "Luan, I can tell when you have something deeply troubling you. If I had to guess, the doctor helped you realize something?"

Luan nodded.

"Was it particularly bad...?" Lucy asked.

"...I need to ask you guys this...and I want you to be honest with me...do you think I go crazy on April Fools Day?"

The girls and their mother looked at each other in confusion. While they certainly knew that the 14 year old joker did go a tad nuts on her favorite holiday, she didn't seem to find it troubling. Then again, the girls in particular pretended she didn't exist for a few weeks before they would get over the prankpocolypse, or at least until the side effects from the pranks were gone.

"Are you sure you want to know the answer to that Luan?" Lori asked in uncertainty.

"I'm serious Lori...if I've been going overboard on that holiday, just come out and say it...I just want to know..."

"Well...I was pretty upset at being stuck in Jell-O..." Lana stated.

"It took me forever to get chicken poop off my sporting goods..." Lynn added.

"...I literally get pissed at you for shaving my eyebrows..." Lori admitted.

"Your spider pranks are pretty mean...no offense..." Leni chimed in.

"The whole vacuum bag dust bomb made me want to choke you in your sleep." Lola added, making the others give a shocked glance at her. "What?! She said she wanted an honest opinion!"

Tears weld up in Luan's eyes as she listened to her family's opinions of her pranks. "I knew it...I'm a monster..."

"Luan, I think I can safely assume you're wrong to consider yourself an aberrant occurrence." Lisa corrected. "Especially after everything I did..."

"Girls, _none_ of you are monsters. Sure, you may have your...quirks...but that doesn't mean you're a threat to anyone..."

Luan gripped her arms tensely. That was surely a lie... "Then explain to me why you guys always hide from me on April Fools then! Don't act like I don't know that every one of your plans to hide somewhere every time that holiday shows up! Lisa, you even built a _bomb shelter_ specifically for that day! I've been pulling mean pranks on my family for the last few years just for a cheap laugh! I didn't even care if you guys were hurt! So how can you tell me that I'm not a monster?!" The family was stunned by her sudden outburst, but the pained look on Luan's face said it all.

Lori sat down on opposite side of the distressed girl as she started to cry in silence. "Luan, what did you talk about with the therapist?" Lori asked.

"...I-I'm sorry guys...I'm so...so sorry...I should've came to you about this long before now...b-but I couldn't...I was just too s-scared..." Luan sniffled to prevent snot from flowing out her nose.

"Sweetie, what were you supposed to talk to us about?" The matriarch asked.

"...I...I have a b-bullying problem..."

The second those words left Luan's lips, something struck a chord in Lynn. After a long time of going through self-hate in believing she was a bully to her brother, getting the bomb-shell that her older sister was getting bullied put her defensive instincts at an all-time high. She might have failed Lincoln, but there was no way in hell she was going to let another of her siblings suffer from assholes with ego problems.

"Who are they Luan?..." She said in a low voice. When the comedian didn't reply, the athlete grew angry. "I said who are they?! Just point them out and I swear, I'll give them a thrashing so bad, it'll pale in comparison to what Ronnie Anne did to me..."

"I don't know ok?! It was back in elementary grade!..."

"You don't even have a face to reference?!" Lynn asked. Luan shook her head, causing the 13 year old to punch the wall as a means of letting off steam.

"Lynn Jr! Getting angry won't help! So calm down!" Rita ordered. Lynn looked at her mother defiantly for a few seconds before giving a small huff, sinking into her chair. The mother then turned her attention back to her crying daughter. "Luan, if you had a bullying problem then...why didn't you say anything?"

"L-Like I said...I was too a-afraid to talk about it..."

"I'm guessing it was literally a..." Lori wanted to swear, but with the little ones present, she changed her words. "Pain in the back?"

"...More than that to be honest..."

* * *

Luna strolled into Ms. Lopez office, who was expecting her. She didn't know what to think about her session before it started. Obviously, the question would be about this whole incident the family found themselves in, but the musician had some suspicions that there was more to it than accidentally putting her brother in the hospital and making him afraid of them. Luan was practically on the verge of tears when she came back, and she doubted it had to do with Lincoln's condition. Everyone already accepted the hard truth that they couldn't undo what had happened, though Lisa wished she could build a time machine to prevent this whole mess from starting. The tears of sadness were already shed, and crying about it wouldn't do any help at this point. Luna herself was well aware of this fact, as she silently cried herself to sleep the first few days after the fight, and the night it was discovered that Lincoln developed his phobia.

"Hey doc..." The 15 year old greeted, taking a look around the room. "Nice digs."

"Thank you, Luna is it?"

"The one and only." The musician said with a shred of confidence.

"Great, great. So how are you feeling today?"

"Well, to be honest, ain't really on my usual riff today...not that I have since the flow of our family broke like my axe does occasionally...also, was something the matter with Luan? She was all happy to be coming in, but looked like she broke her favorite dummy when she came back."

"Luan was just reflecting on the session we had. While I can't give you the schematics of what happened, she'll be sure to talk about it with you all."

"Riiiight." Luna sat in the chair. "So, how's this work out?"

"We're just here to talk dear. Anything we talk about can be kept private if you wish it to be. If not, you're free to use this information however you want. Sound good?"

"That's cool..." Luna shrugged.

"So, tell me a bit about yourself."

Luna gave a smirk. "Well, not to brag, but I'm what puts the _loud_ in Loud of our family. I make the place rockin' day and night, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. If my sisters and bro need some music, I'm the one they turn to."

"And judging by your attire, I'd say you're interested in rock and roll?"

"Heavily mate."

"So when did you start getting into the music industry?"

"Now that's a long story." Luna stared at the ceiling. "Unlike most of my sisters, I didn't exactly have a 'special talent' when I was little, you know? I guess if you use my brother as a divider...I'm the middle child of my teenaged sisters. There were times I had felt like the only one who couldn't carry a beat, as both my 2 older and 2 younger sisters found something they were good at. Lynn found she really liked sports when she was only 6, Leni got into fashion around that age, Lori found she was a decent speller (would explain why she has that phone in her hands so much...), and even Luan started taking up comedy in elementary school. As for me...I didn't know _what_ I was good at."

The musician gave a sigh. "None of the stuff my sisters did got me goin', but it didn't bother me much. Not until I was in 7th grade at least...by then I was getting worried I might not have any sort of skill like my sisters. But, over the past few years I found that I had really gotten into music, the classics to be exact; but even then, it just didn't feel like the real _me_...all of that changed when I heard about the Rocking Boulders doin' a concert in town one day. The night I heard Mick Swagger sing and call me on the stage, it was then that I _knew_ , that I was meant to be rockin' the world anywhere I go. And that's why to this day, I always viewed Mick as my hero, cause he showed me that I had the skills all along, but just didn't realize it. Besides singing and playing the axe, I still practice using a lot of other instruments."

"What kind of instruments do you know how to use?"

The 15 year old started counting off her fingers. "Drums, the piano, the flute, tuba, trumpet, violin, the harp, I tried the banjo once, and of course, the guitar."

"Hmm, would you say that there isn't any instrument that you _couldn't_ play?"

"Welp...maybe? I mean, when I usually get my hands on somethin' I haven't touched yet, I can figure it out within an hour or so. My sisters and bro do have some taste too, like Lincoln is pretty sick on the cello and Lucy can make a wicked tune on the organ. Lori isn't half bad on the trumpet either, even if she's a little off-key."

"Interesting." Miranda noted, jotting something down. _"Each of these girls are very gifted for their age. However, their conflicting personalities are quite obvious."_ She said in her mind before turning her attention back to the musician.

"Ok, so I understand that you have a passion for the arts, particularly the rock genre. Has this at times come into conflict with your siblings?"

Luna felt a little bummed out when asked that, as one particular situation came to mind. "There was this time that our family had signed up for the talent show at the fair. Many ideas were thrown around but we couldn't agree on anythin'. So I said 'Let's start a family band!', and of course they weren't keen on the idea since they didn't know how to play certain instruments. So, I just told them that it didn't matter as long as they had fun doin' it. We were havin' a good time until my roadie Chunk called me and said that Mick Swagger was gonna be scoutin' for talent at the fair. I _really, really, REALLY_ wanted to make a good impression but knew my family wasn't that talented...long story short, I ended up forgetting about that one rule I said to them and made a huge jerk of myself..."

"And how did that turn out?"

"Well, after meeting someone who ended up being Mick in disguise, I apologized for putting out bad vibes and we all took the stage and rocked it! Best Family Fun Fair I could remember."

"Sounds good." Miranda smiled. "Now, my next question is going to stem from some of the things I've learned from your other siblings: has your musical talent annoyed your siblings at any point?"

Luna smiled sheepishly. "Sometimes...I get a bit too into my jam sessions to notice what I'm doin'. I get so pumped up from the riff of my axe that a few times I broke the neck of it, and I almost stage-dived Lily once..." The guilt was evident in the last part of that sentence.

"Wait, you almost landed on the _baby_?" Miranda asked, quite shocked at her words.

"Yeeeah...thankfully she was moved out of the way and I landed on my drum set. Aside from that, they only seem to get annoyed when I turn it up to 11 and talk in a British accent."

"So the accent you're speaking now, isn't your real voice?"

Luna nodded. "Oi. I idolized Mick a lot that I started talking more like a good ol' Brit soon enough. I practically forgot what my real voice sounded like...until recently that is..."

"I see..." Miranda replied. "I was going to ask this a little later, but since we're on this subject...did you have a part to play in how things occurred last weekend?"

"More than I would've liked..." The rocker spoke, this time with her native, American accent. "Me and Luan were put in charge of making sure Lori and Leni didn't run into each other while they were still beefing...so we ended up forcing Lincoln out of his room to hide one of them as to avoid them jabbin' at each other. Then at night, Lincoln was upset at his bed sheets being used as a divider in Lori and Leni's room, and since my two elder sisters refused to bunk with each other, Lincoln had me and Leni switch places. During the night, Lori ranted at me about how she got the dress first. Usually, I'm not the one who cares about this small talk, because seriously? It's just a dress bro. But the more she raved, the more I started to believe her...Leni must've been telling Luan the same thing, cause the next morning I was fighting with my roommate over who had the dress first..."

"Whose you're roommate exactly?"

"Luan."

"Ah ok. What happened next?"

"While me and LuLu were gettin' heated up, Lincoln stepped in to try to calm us down. But we were so angry...had the twins not separated us, we would've pummeled him on the spot..." A saddened look took form on Luna's face. "Too bad no one could protect him from being thrashed later on..."

"...I've asked this quite a few times with your other sisters in terms of the relationship you girls have with each other. However, I think I already have a clear picture given what I've heard so far. So in this instance, I'll narrow it down: what kind of relationship do you have with Lincoln? Do you feel he's very close to you?"

"Is Lincoln close to me?...he sure is...but after everything that's happened, I doubt it now...normally the two of us get along just fine: I'd ask him to help me with a few things and he'd ask me for stuff, we'd both listen to various bands, hell...I even went with him to his first SMOOCH concert. The other girls didn't like me doing that since I, on accident, ruined their experiences...but wanted to prove them wrong and show them that I can make someone's first concert one to remember. It also helped that it was a rock band and not some boring opera or boy band." Luna said the last part in disgust. "Lincoln actually got in trouble shortly after he told me to leave because this mall cop tricked him into illegally buying tickets just so he could put him in a cell. Kinda wish I could've smashed my axe on that guy's head...luckily, I picked up the phone before anyone else did and got him out of there, even though I was caught pretending to be mom...I still owe Bobby for backin' us up then, but I sure proved my sisters wrong about me always ruining concert outings."

The doctor took note of this. "Anything else you want to add?"

"Loads..." Luna flopped back in the chair. "When Lincoln was born, I was pretty excited at the fact we got a brother. I love my sisters, but it was so cool that we got a boy in the family now. Aside from mom, I was the second sister to hold him. Believe it or not, Lynn was the first, and she loved it. Sometimes I almost felt like a mom when I had to sing him to sleep if he was being fussy, but I always played with him when the others were busy, occasionally feed him, and me and Leni would argue over who gets to hold him when we go somewhere. He's drifted close to me since those days, even if we aren't as close as we used to be...I do the same thing with Lily even, though I'm pretty sure she doesn't want to be anywhere _near_ me after what happened..."

"Aside from recent events, has your relationship with your brother had pitfalls? Like, has he done anything to make you upset or vice versa?"

Luna regretfully nodded. "...There have been times where I've been actin' jerkish to him...there was this one instance where he mapped out a seat in the van called 'the sweet spot' and like my sisters, I got jealous and wanted to have it for myself. No offense to Vanzilla, but you get tired of restin' your bums on soggy, sticky seats next to broken windows all the time. Another time was when we all went shopping and he made a deal with mom to get the groceries in order to get some Zombie Bran...all of us wanted treats too and...I took his cereal from him and the whole gang started fighting on who should get a treat, which got us banned from the store; we made it up to Lincoln since it was our fault he didn't get his prize, but that was still a low note...on the other side, bro can be selfish or clumsy at times. He has a bad habit of clogging the only toilet in the house with stuff that shouldn't go in that tube, like a sweater. Last time he clogged it with a Princess Pony book, though to be honest, I'm not even sure if that was Lincoln's. He's more into Ace Savvy and boy stuff, not girly girl things. I'm getting this vibe that it was Lola's even though she said she doesn't read that junk. That or...Lucy maybe? I don't know..."

Luna then described the two times she ended up blasting Lincoln into the wall with her extremely loud speakers. The first time was an accident which left a crack in the wall, but the musician expressed sincere regret over the second time it happened. It happened during the time all of the kids were following clues left around the house that pointed towards a hidden cash prize, and Luna distinctly remembered Lincoln peering into their room, only for her to blast him point blank right into the opposing wall in the hallway. The 15 year old drew a few tears at this due to the fact she might have seriously injured her brother and she wouldn't have cared at the time, so long as she find the money. Thankfully, he only suffered some temporary hearing loss. Miranda was starting to notice a pattern at this point. Whenever Luna acted like a jerk, her sisters seemed to be acting the same way, almost as if they had some kind of mob mentality. She wrote this down in her notes to bring it up later.

"But I could say the one time I was super mad at Lincoln was when he filmed an embarrassing moment of me and my sisters for a video contest. People kept laughing at the fact I wore polka-dot underwear for a couple days, until Lincoln corrected his mistake by uploading a ton of embarrassing moments of himself. But when I look back on it...I realized I couldn't be too mad at him for what he did..."

"How so?"

"After looking at the trophy case in our house...I realized the reason _why_ Lincoln wanted to win that video contest so badly...he felt like he was living in everyone's shadow, much like how I felt before I discovered music. What I'm saying is, he felt just like I did when I was around his age...he just wanted to stand out apart from us, and he must've felt like he couldn't accomplish anything from seeing all the trophies we had. I know he did try out for a few things, but he just couldn't seem to win the crowd...I know that feeling of having a trophy you can fawn over, as I have a few myself, but I finally got why he published our embarrassing moments. He was very desperate to win _something, anything_ , to show that he could be a winner like us. And it didn't help his younger sisters even had a few wins on their end...I was too angry with him to realize it before he publicly embarrassed himself, but after seeing the little trophy we gave him compared to the others...I don't think giving him a trophy labeled 'Most Improved Brother' eases the ice...sure, it'll be something we'll remember as a family, but it won't mean anything to the real world..."

"Interesting comparison...have you tried to help your brother in any way?"

"...The best I did was try to help him through music, as it always helps me out when I'm thinking of something. But Lincoln just isn't into music like I am...I'm not sure what he likes besides comics, but I do want to help him find his calling so he doesn't feel like he's draggin' the band down...though given he's...a-afraid of me...I don't know how I can help him now...he probably feels like everything is his fault even..."

"Well then, I think it's wonderful that you're helping your brother in trying to realize what he's good at. Your father had similar thoughts and has wished that Lincoln was more like you and your sisters. But like I told him, Lincoln will find his calling in due time, all he needs is acceptance and patience."

"Right..."

"Now, another thing I want to bring up is your interactions with your brother during certain times. When you talked about the times you've acted selfish towards him, you also said your sisters acted the same way. Whether this is based on coincidence due to having similar ideals, I'm not certain, but it doesn't seem like you act out on your own in these situations. The only time you have is when you admitted to being selfish when it came to the incident involving the family fair. It seems that you girls act as one without realizing it, though it appears it often devolves into infighting, particularly when your brother comes up with the idea in the first two examples you've given me."

Luna wasn't too sure how to make sense of this bit of information. "So, like...are you saying when us girls act selfish, we tend to think too much of ourselves and be inconsiderate of our brother?"

"It could also stem from jealousy of the fact none of you thought of it yourselves before it was too late, so you try to bend the rules to suit your needs, but this only exacerbates the problem into unnecessary conflict."

"...That...does make a lot of sense. Lincoln did say he spent 8 months scouting out for that seat in the van. We ended up tearing the car apart in the process...and he made a deal with mom to get the groceries. We promised to help him shop, but all we did was goof around..." Luna rubbed her head as she recalled the moment she used the store's PA system to play a guitar riff. "I'm thinking it probably leans more towards jealousy than anything else...I think I've been roped into the idea of wanting something for myself when I didn't plan in advance more than I would like to count...at least Lincoln always tends to plan ahead..."

It suddenly dawned on the musician as to why Lincoln always makes up these plans with incredibly long names. He seems to be well-aware of how his sisters will act when they're in a group, and if anything, the girls have proved time and time again as to why he would have to stay a few steps ahead of them, especially if it's something he didn't want them to ruin: they would either want the same thing or try to force their opinions on him. Perhaps Dr. Lopez's theory of this mob mentality isn't too far-fetched, and Luna didn't like it one bit. One such instance was the whole Sadie Hawkins Dance fiasco. Four of his sisters set up dates for him and hadn't bothered asking him whether or not he actually wanted to go to the dance. They ended up forcing him to go for the sake of their friends, who now want nothing to do with them after finding out how they landed their brother in the hospital. While Luna was happy that Lincoln actually managed to hook their friends up with _his_ friends, she quickly became aware of how badly that night could've turned out if Tabby, Polly, Haiku, and Giggles thought Lincoln was cheating on each of them...

Shaking her head, Luna stood up. "Thanks for the time doc, but I think I'd like to leave now..."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah..."

"Well Luna, remember that the door is always open." Miranda said, a little unsure as to why Luna suddenly wanted to leave. However, the doctor didn't want to stop her as she felt she got enough information from the 15 year old. Plus, she needed to go out for lunch.

The musician walked calmly out the door, conflicting thoughts and feelings of uncertainty plaguing her mind. But Luna was certain about one thing: she needed to call a sibling meeting as soon as possible.

 **A/N: There's been some internal debate as to why Lincoln and Luna are very close. Most say they are due to how Luna treats Lincoln, despite there being a lot of canon evidence that Luna and Lincoln don't hang out much. One could say the only episode where the two really hang out is For Bro About To Rock. However, there was one thing I noticed when watching this episode, and later going back to watching Making the Case.**

 **In the SMOOCH concert episode, we saw that Luna was a lost soul who had yet to find her passion in life. Out of the 5 older sisters, she's the middle child, and it's been hinted at the possibility that Lori, Leni, Luan, and Lynn found their calling before Luna did. While this wouldn't be much of an impact from Lori and Leni, the fact Luan and Lynn found their talents would have bothered Luna to the point she'd become concerned at finding out what she's good at. It wasn't until 7th grade that she realized her taste for music, which she embraced fully.** **Now with Lincoln, Making the Case made it evident that he feels overshadowed by his sisters due to the awards they've made. Both Luna and Lincoln are the middle children of their respective groups, and had trouble finding out what they're skilled at. So in essence, the reason Luna and Lincoln are close to one another, is because Lincoln reminded Luna of herself when she was around his age.**

 **Another thing I've noticed is that while Luna and Leni seem to be the most caring out of all the girls, they only become jerks if it involves the rest of the girls. Luna's only had one jerk moment, which was in House Music, whilst Leni hardly has any unless the rest of the girls are fighting over something (not counting Brawl since that's why we're here right now). With this new information, Luna is gonna have to talk with her siblings about this sudden realization.**

 **Not sure who I may do next, but there is a possibility I may do a take on Dance Dance Resolution from the subtle hint I dropped.**


	17. No More Secrets

**A/N: Please excuse the late update. Didn't have much urge to write due to visiting family I haven't seen in two years and watching the latest stem of new episodes. Getting back to my regular schedule is a little difficult once I stop. Anyway, this chapter will be more of a filler as I'll take a slight break from the sessions to go over a different issue the girls seem to have, something that not even Dr. Lopez could help them with thoroughly.**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

Luna power-walked away from Miranda's office, heading back towards the reception area. She didn't think Dr. Lopez's words would strike such a chord in her usual rhythm, yet she found herself cutting her session short and marching down the hall with a concerned look on her face, her mind plagued with the antics of her siblings. It was no question in the Loud House that the siblings tended to get into fights over the smallest and most trivial things, such as the whole incident that got them in this situation in the first place. And if it wasn't over something petty, it was all about competition. Being in a family as big as the Louds, sibling rivalry was toned up to 11, _literally_. Lori and Leni sometimes argued over who was prettier, Lynn and Lucy had their clashing personalities and tastes, so it usually boiled down to which subject was better. The twins spoke for themselves, and Luna knew she and Luan didn't get along too well with her sister's corny puns and the musician knew the comedian wasn't too fond of her loud music. The main outliers would be Lisa, Lincoln, and Lily for varied, yet obvious reasons.

When Luna finally came within visual range of her family, she was surprised to see Luan looking like she cried her eyes out with everyone else trying to console her. Lynn still looked a bit heated though.

"Ok...mind tellin' me what went down when I was with the doc?" The 15 year old asked.

"Luan has bigger issues than we originally thought." Lucy stated.

"Like what?"

"I'm sure you're quite aware of the situation regarding April Fools correct?" Lisa asked, to which her sister nodded. " There's a peculiar reasoning for Luan's...unhinged attitude towards the holiday. She's been the subject of harsh oppression during her rudimentary grade years, or in layman's terms, bullying..."

"WHAT?!" Luna shouted in surprise. "Dude! Why didn't you say you were being picked on?! All of us could've helped you!"

"...Like I already told everyone else...I was too afraid to come out and say it Luna...I've been wanting to get back at my bullies since, but I ended up targeting my own family instead...that night you guys locked me in the cage, it felt like the time I was stuck in a locker again..." Luan gazed at Luna, her red eyes clearly expressing the pain she had finally allowed to be set free. "No matter how many times I asked, even begging a couple times, no one came to h-help...I even asked you a couple times sweetly, but I doubt you heard me through your headphones..."

Luna shifted uncomfortably on the spot. "N-No...I hadn't..." Granted, like the rest of her siblings, Luna had her reasons. They were tired of living in fear of Luan's pranks and wanted to take matters into her own hands. But hearing that the sister she was closest to was bullied and they put her in a situation that reminded her of it...it tugged at her heartstrings hard. Whenever Luna goes to bed, she always has her favorite soundtracks blasting through her headphones, even after the sandman claims her. She could've did something to help her sister, yet she ignored her, forcing Luan to break herself out and cause mayhem the very next day.

"But I don't blame you Luna...I made you all feel that way, so I deserved it..."

"Actually Luan, I think locking you in a cage was pretty harsh, even for us...all of us could've just talked to you if we asked..." The musician suggested.

"But I doubt I would've listened, knowing my pranking nature..." The comedian pointed out.

"It wouldn't have hurt to try..." Leni added.

Rita suddenly felt her phone vibrate in her back pocket. Taking it out, she saw it was her husband calling. "I'll be back in a minute kids." The matriarch then got up from her seat as she answered the phone. If it was more bad news, she didn't want her girls to feel any worse than they already did. These sessions with Dr. Lopez were becoming some very apparent eye openers. However, even though she exited the room, the girls could still pick up bits of her conversation as she walked out of hearing range.

"Hey dear, how is he?...He had another nightmare?...Oh God...well, did you tell him about where he's going to stay when he leaves the hospital?..." Rita said as she walked further from the suite.

"I don't think I want to know what kind of darkness our brother is dreaming of when he falls asleep. Without a doubt, it _has_ to be about us..." Lucy said solemnly.

"That would be obvious since he _smacked_ me with a food tray..." Lynn stated, unconsciously rubbing her cheek.

"And why he freaked out when we visited him..." Lola added.

Lori looked back at Luna, who was trying to console her roommate. It seemed a bit odd that her 8th youngest sister's session didn't last as long as the previous ones. In fact, she did happen to catch the look the musician had before she announced her presence.

"Luna." The brunette looked at the eldest blonde. "How did your session go?"

"Well...she asked me what I was like, what my vibes were with our bro and..." Luna paused, remembering what she wanted to discuss with her sisters. "She brought up something that's a serious problem with all of us..."

"What do you mean?" The 17 year old asked.

Looking around the room, Luna saw that her family was still the only ones there. Being that this would be a private matter, she would've felt more comfortable discussing this in the van. However, her father took it to go visit Lincoln. So, the spacious room would be suitable it seemed.

"...Does it feel like...we act as a single minded person at times?" The rocker questioned all of them.

Lisa couldn't help but chuckle a little at that notion. "With our evident differences in Intelligent Quotient and varied personas, I find that notion to be highly unlikely. But, I would like for you to clarify on your statement to dispel any confusion."

"When I was talkin' with Ms. Lopez, I talked about some of the times we got into our fights...she said she noticed this odd pattern that seemed to occur, sometimes centered around Lincoln."

Lori raised a hand in a motion to make Luna pause. "If this is about how we ended up mentally scarring him, I _literally,_ don't want to hear a repeat...we already feel crappy enough for what happened..."

"It's not about that dude, it's just that...do you think that sometimes we meddle too much in Lincoln's life?..." Luna finally asked.

The girls looked on each other, unsure on how to answer this. "Well...we're just looking out for his best interests, right?..." Leni stated.

"And ours..." Luna muttered.

"We do try to help him out when he goes to hang out with Ronnie Anne." Lucy added.

"And we do take care of him when he's hurt." Lana piped up.

"And yet, the first time we did help him with Ronnie Anne, he got punched in the face..." Lori grimaced.

"Now that I think about it, the application of a defibrillator unit was completely unnecessary when the only injury he suffered was a spasm in his left pollical." Lisa stated. The other girls were confused as they didn't know what type of body part she was referring to. "His thumb?"

A collective chorus of "Oh's" sounded.

"Not to mention the time we had to get him Zombie Bran since it was our fault we got banned from the store." Lynn said.

"We made it up to him for that though." Leni spoke.

Luna cleared her throat, getting their attention. "That's what I think the doc was gettin' at dudes...you know Lincoln sometimes makes up these crazy schemes right?" Everyone nodded. "So from what I realized...he does this because Lincoln _knows_ what will happen if we find out, that's why he tries to be secretive...but in the end, we keep prying into his life and end up making the whole thing go bust." Luna started counting on her fingers. "The Sweet Spot deal? Van was trashed because of us fighting over it. The whole supermarket incident? We all wanted treats when Lincoln actually made a deal with mom and we just goofed off the moment we got to the store. Plus the whole pool issue, the time we kept distracting his tutor, and don't get me started on the time we all fought over money, or the time our house looked worse than the town dump because we stopped doing our chores-"

"Luna..." Luan started.

"Not done yet sis...but there was also the time me, Luan, Lynn, and Lucy made him go to the Sadie Hawkins Dance with _four,_ dates!"

"You guys actually did that?!" Leni asked, quite shocked.

"Well he did lie to us about not being asked by Ronnie Anne." Lynn pointed out.

"But, that doesn't excuse the fact that night could've ended _horribly_ for him..." Luna retorted.

Lori was growing impatient from all of this. "Luna, what exactly are you getting at from all of this?..."

"I'm saying, that I think we try to ride the gravy train from our bro's ideas too much for our own good! Any time he has an idea, all of us seem to come together like one person, much like the doc said, and use that idea to our advantage. But in the end, we just end up competing for it and make the whole thing take a massive stage dive..."

Each sibling took a few moments to think about the examples Luna gave. The only sibling who didn't think much of it was Lily, who just looked at everyone with a confused stare. Despite the baby despising her older sisters to a degree, she couldn't help but feel a bit put off by the vibe they were giving. The 9 girls studied each instance in their head before each sister began to show signs of guilt and uneasiness. Some shifted in their seats uncomfortably while others rubbed their arms or heads. The harsh realization hit them like a ton of bricks. They weren't aware of it before, but they sure as hell were now: even if their intentions seemed noble, at times, they _did_ make things worse due to their selfishness. Some of these situations could've been solved or handled better had the girls not been involved or enforced their opinion on their brother. While the sisters did have their moments of every sibling turning on them at one point or another, it seemed their brother had to deal with more than his fair share of this judgement.

There was also larger level of irony to this as well. After the whole issue with Ronnie Anne, the girls agreed with Lincoln that they'd butt out of his affairs. They eventually did find out they were right about the tomboy liking him despite the boy's best efforts to keep it secret, so this demand went largely ignored. Since then, the girls continued to pry into their brother's life at will while asking him for help, expecting him to oblige (or in a few cases, strong arm him) while the times he asked for aid in return, only a few would do so without question while the others wanted to get something out of it. And that wasn't even counting the latest escapade about forcing Lincoln to not get involved with their sibling fights. However, like all families, the kids seem to forget one crucial aspect as to why they keep loving each other...

"You know...we may have treated Lincoln like his opinion doesn't matter at times, but to be honest, all of us aren't so different, you know?" Lynn stated. "Just how many times have all of us gotten into trouble from our over-competitiveness?"

"You mean like the time we sold everything in the house at the garage sale?..." Lana answered.

"I can't believe I sold my own _bed_..." Lola said in mild irritation.

"And the fact that goat Flip swindled us..." Lucy added.

"There was also that time he forced us out of the pool he bought." Leni stated.

"That's only because he never had a chance to actually _use_ it before we stepped in, so the least we could've did was let him join us after he kicked us out." Lori told her roommate. "It should be no surprise that Lincoln is secretive about the stuff he does when we aren't watching. I'm pretty sure all of us have done the same thing a few times too, if that one video contest is anything to prove..."

"Trust me Lori, I know all about being secretive." Lola replied.

"And speaking about that video contest, I had a big slap to the face in why Lincoln did what he did."

"You mean besides wanting to win so bad?" Luan asked dryly.

Luna rubbed her head. "Well...you remember when I was all dark and moody when I felt like I didn't feel special when we were younger right?..."

Lucy's eyes went wide in response. " _You?..._ You used to be depressed like I was?"

"Well...not to your level sis, but it was there...like Lincoln, I didn't feel like I had a calling in life, until I went to that Mick Swagger concert that one night. All of you know this. But for Lincoln, he was clearly desperate to win _somethin'..._ I know we gave him a trophy and all, but it feels...kinda small don't it?"

Lucy brought her knees inward. "I think I see your point...he took the brunt of embarrassment in order to save our status, but in my case, that would be the second time he's done it for me..."

" _Second_ _time?_ " Lori asked.

"...You know that time the toilet was clogged with the princess pony book?..." Everyone nodded. "It wasn't Lincoln's..." Lucy stared at the floor. "It was mine..."

The silence in the room was so thick you could hear the ventilation in the room, which was on its lowest setting. "So _you're_ the one that reads that garbage?!" Lola asked.

"...I need a break from the darkness sometimes. Even at some point we need to break from our interests or usual activities...I knew you all would tease me endlessly over it, but Lincoln took the blame and missed his convention because he knew he could handle it and I couldn't...I made a little comic for him as thanks, but it felt so insignificant to missing something he was looking forward to for months, and I always felt I would never be able to pay him back for saving me from that torture...however, if anything, I want to save his tortured soul from the demons he sees us as..."

Luan felt her bout of depression kicking in again. "...Great...now I feel like even more of a monster..."

The family's athlete grew irate at this remark. "Luan, for the last. Freaking. Time. You are _NOT_ a monster! You're our _SISTER_ , and we'll always love you! And the rest of us aren't angels either..."

Lola shifted uncomfortably in her seat, a particular incident coming to mind. "You know, maybe it wasn't a good idea to prank Lincoln just because he ignored us with noise-cancelling ear plugs..."

"You think?..." Came Lana's sarcastic comment.

"Look, I already apologized for that incident, and got grounded from it since the roof was turned upside down, but like I said before...if you informed me of what was going on, none of you would've suffered a severe case of tinnitus..." Lisa folded her arms in annoyance.

Luna shrugged. "To be honest, it wasn't _that_ bad. I get ringing in my ears all the time from jammin'."

"That would explain your quick recovery...remind me to check your auditory nerves and eardrums when we get the chance." The child prodigy ordered.

The 15 year old gave a small growl. "My hearing is _fine_ Lisa..."

"Getting back on topic," Lori interrupted, "It was nice of Lincoln to play butler for us when we went to Scratchy Bottom last summer..."

"And that's because we once again competed against each other to try and convince him which place would be better..." Lynn stated with clarity.

"Quite. We probably should've let our male sibling decide for himself instead of trying to enforce him to sway to one side..."

"But, because we were thinking for ourselves, we didn't..." The comedian replied in a bummed tone.

"And aside from that, we've competed for the best present to give to our parents whenever their anniversary comes up. Is trying to one-up each other the _only_ thing we ever do?...And since I love competing, that's a lot coming from me..." The jock explained.

The girls couldn't argue with that. It could be said that part of the reason they have certain quirks was to stand out from each other. Luna's case was very evident, being in a family that has many talented children. However, it wasn't uncommon that all of the kids, Lincoln included, ended up being competitive over some of the simplest things. Anything to earn that victory dance in a few incidents. But, once the competitive streak was worn out, the kids could come together and finally manage to work things out.

"...Remember the time we were looking for money? I'm surprised mom and dad didn't make us clean the entire house after we practically wrecked it looking for clues." Luan stated.

"That's because the whole idea was your father's." A motherly voice spoke out. The kids turned to Rita, who was apparently finished with her phone call. "He set up clues for you all to work together for a change, which worked, despite you kids needing to figure it out three times. But, I had him clean the house since it was _his_ idea. And that money you found, was his work bonus."

"Wow...didn't see that coming." Lori commented.

"So uh...how long were you standing there mom?" Lynn asked.

"Enough to understand what the main subject is. Now, I would agree that all of you would need to learn a lesson multiple times before it finally becomes engrained in your heads, but that's normal for many kids. What's important is, that you take that lesson and it sticks, and trust me, most kids don't remember valuable life lessons..." Rita chuckled a little. "That reminds me of my high school days. There were _so_ many preppy girls that never made it after high school because the lessons their parents gave them didn't stick, or just bad parenting..."

"What happened to them after high school?" Leni asked.

"Trust me sweetie, you don't wanna know..."

"Ok...Oh! I remember the time Lincoln got all of us chocolate he put into the cabinet. That was _so_ sweet of him!" The 16 year old piped out.

Lori nodded. "Yeah, that was nice of him."

Lily babbled something only 2 of the sisters could understand. "Yeah, it was the best chocolate Lily." Luan told her.

"Chocolate?...wait, did you girls happen to get Hershey's Chocolate from the kitchen cabinets?" Rita asked.

"That's where I found it." Leni replied.

The matriarch pinched the bridge of her nose. "Girls...that chocolate was for Lincoln's _school project_...no wonder he smelt like salt and vinegar when he came home that one time..." All the girls in the room sat in uncomfortable silence, having received yet another piece of evidence on how they indirectly screwed things up for their brother. "But, that's in the past now and nothing can be done about that. But I want you girls to promise me two things:

1\. Since this was caused by everyone bad mouthing each other behind their backs, no more secrets. Please...

And 2. Try to get along with each other more. I know our current situation is bad, but I don't want our precious family to be completely broken from all of this...last thing we need is to be distant from each other, as it's already bad enough with Lincoln's...condition..."

"We promise..." The girls said sincerely.

A small, yet noticeable sound was heard, almost as if it was a raspberry. The sudden change of smell indicated otherwise.

"Ugh!" Luan waved a hand in front of her face. "Was that your shoes Lori?!"

"No Luan, that...was my rear." Lori gave a small smile.

"Nice, but it's still gross." The comedian stated.

"Whatever..."

"If I may be so inclined mother, I managed to hear part of your phone chat with father before you walked away. Is everything ok with Lincoln?..." Lisa asked.

"Sadly, no...he suffered another nightmare, and your father said Lincoln told him he feels his night terrors are getting worse...I guess those sleeping pills they gave him aren't working too well, but Lincoln is aware of the fact he won't be coming back home as soon as the hospital releases him."

"How did he react to that?" Lola asked.

"Lynn said he was, ok I guess?" Rita replied, not sure what her husband meant by that.

"Even when we aren't around him, we're still making things worse..." Lucy said in a sadder than usual tone.

"This may seem unethical, but I do wish I had my chemistry set...maybe then I could make a pill that would induce zero brain function while he's asleep...however, there's a 77% chance it may cause worse side effects, and the last thing I want is to-" Lisa stopped when she felt a small pair of hands slap her mouth shut. The 4 year old looked to Lily, who shook her head as she gave an upset look. "S-Sorry...I don't want to finish that thought either..."

"Can't there be a quicker way to get him to see Dr. Lopez? _Anything_ to make his nightmares stop?" Luna asked. "If he waits until he's out of the joint, there's no telling how he'll be!"

"I'm not sure if Miranda does phone sessions..."

"Sometimes, I do." Rita and the girls looked toward the hall as the aforementioned psychologist walked out with her mobile phone in hand. "Normally, I take phone sessions with Clyde when I do not feel like seeing him in person. On that note, I really find it to be a mistake that I gave him my house number...it's complicated, and sometimes it rides on the phone usage in this building (and the phone bill in my house...), but if it is getting as bad as you say, then I can make some arrangements."

The Hispanic woman stopped when the twins attached themselves to her legs. "Please! Please! Please help our brother!" They spoke in unison, putting up the biggest puppy dog eyes they had.

 _"They aren't that different from each other huh?"_ Miranda smirked inwardly. "Don't worry girls, I said before I was going to help him. But, could you please let go? My legs are starting to lose their blood circulation..." She asked in a kind tone.

Rita came and had to pry the two girls off due to the intense grip they had. "Sorry about that."

"Don't worry Rita, it's ok. But, before I can make arrangements for a phone conversation I have a few pressing matters with my own family to deal with first..." The doctor said before leaving the room.

"Well...if you ask, you shall receive I suppose." Lisa quipped.

"So...whose going to go in the room next?"

Rita tapped her chin. "If I'm right, the only ones left are Lucy, Lynn, and the twins. I don't think I can decide for you girls as this is a private matter, but I'm trusting you to try and work it out. Sound good?"

The aforementioned females nodded.

 **A/N: So, as you can guess, this chapter was more or less filler for between the sessions. I have a feeling of which female character I want to use next, but first, it seems Dr. Lopez needs to handle some serious concerns first. At the very least, she might be able to put Lincoln's mind at ease, but if it doesn't work, an in-person interview would do more good.**


	18. Phone Aid

**A/N: It's been a month since I last updated this story. I feel kinda bad for letting it sit at that little cliffhanger, but no more. Shifting focus away from the girls for a moment, Ms. Lopez will have the opportunity to speak with the boy she planned to talk with some time later. Over the phone sessions aren't always as helpful, so a face to face is still required. Hopefully, at least Ms. Lopez can help quell Lincoln's night terrors.**

 **I've seen numerous new fics pop up lately, even a spoof of Worth which I'm not entirely surprised. I've said before, I didn't think my opinion matters, but it seems I've inspired others to make decent works with the ones I'm doing. Feels a bit, elating so to speak. Still not used to that though.**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

 _"So honey, how are things?"_ A male voice spoke on a phone.

"I would say business as usual Robert, but things are a bit more, complicated..." Miranda said to her husband.

 _"You're not dealing with that Clyde kid again are you?"_

"No no no, it's a different set of clients. Have you ever heard of large immediate families?"

 _"You mean something like Cheaper by the Dozen?"_

"Precisely. I'm tending to a family of 13. _Ten daughters and one son_."

 _"Thirteen kids with a significant dividend in gender? That's very odd...sure he's not adopted?"_ Robert noted.

"Robert!" Miranda hissed.

 _"Just asking dear."_ The man joked.

"I haven't seen their son in person as he's currently receiving medical attention, but I was surprised by the genetic outcome myself. So far, I've talked with the parents and 6 of their daughters. I was planning on talking with the last few, but it seems I'll have to speak with the boy first."

 _"What's his condition?_ "

"...It seems the daughters had gotten into an argument with their brother, who was subjected to a harsh beating. Since nine of the girls were involved, you can imagine how this went. As of right now, the boy, Lincoln, is healing physically, but there's a particular reason why I have to speak with him."

 _"If I had to guess, he has a serious beef with his siblings over how he was treated."_

Miranda gave a small snort. "Quite the opposite actually. He's developed a rather severe case of syngenesophobia. According to the parents, he can't even be in the same room as his sisters without falling into a panic. This, coupled with the supposed nightmares he's been having, indicate that his condition is getting worse. As such, the family wants me to speak with him so I can help him. Quite quicker than I would've imagined, as I was willing to wait until Lincoln had been discharged from the hospital."

 _"Well...I feel sorry for that boy already. Hang on-Rico, take that out of your mouth. You don't know where that's been."_

Miranda smiled at hearing her son's name. "Little Ricky is still putting coins in his mouth?"

 _"Yeah. I wish he'd stop doing that. So you were saying?"_

"As such, I've already talked with both the parents and several sisters to deduce what kind of relationship they have with each other. It's quite clear the girls are deeply regretful of their actions and are heartbroken about the damage they've done to their brother, so they're looking to me to see if I can help Lincoln see that his sisters aren't what he thinks they are."

 _"How old is this kid by the way?"_

"Eleven. And before you ask, the girls' ages range from seventeen to four."

 _"...You know, it's been a few years since you last had a case like this, and even then, it was with a smaller, average family."_

"That doesn't mean I haven't gotten rusty Robert." Miranda said in fake offense. "I'm confident in my abilities as a therapist. I already know what the girls' feelings are, all I need now, is to figure out how Lincoln sees them since it varies between persons."

 _"If you say so dear. Hold on a second."_ Shuffling could be heard on the phone. Next thing Miranda knew, the sound of a small child was heard on the line. _"Hi mommy!"_

"Hello sweetie. How are you?"

 _"I'm ok. I cleaning coins but daddy said no."_

"Rico, honey. You should know that's bad for your mouth, plus there's a lot of germs on those coins. What if you get sick? Or one of them gets stuck in your throat?"

 _"I know they dirty, so I clean them!"_ Rico said happily.

"Sweetie, just find a wet paper towel and use that please."

 _"Okaaaay..."_

"Mommy loves you dear." Miranda smiled.

 _"I love you too mommy."_

With that, Miranda had hung up the phone. While the matters weren't 'pressing' as she implied, it still felt nice to catch a break and talk with her own little family. Her smile didn't last long as she plotted her next move. Like she told Robert, Miranda had planned on seeing Lincoln face to face once he became available. She didn't have much faith in over-the-phone sessions, as in her opinion, they didn't seem to have a lasting impact. She had done many of these with Clyde once she started seeing how many issues the boy had, and partly because she was getting annoyed with the constant in-person meetings. With Clyde, it didn't seem to help him much, but with Lincoln...it's possible Miranda might have a breakthrough. She just needs to gauge how bad the boy's fear is.

Walking back to her office, she stopped to address Rita, who was standing out in the hall looking through her phone. "Excuse me Mrs. Loud. Is your husband still with your son?"

"As far as I know, he is."

"Perfect. I'll contact him and ask him to put me in touch with your son so I can see what's going on with him. As far as you're daughters are concerned..." Miranda paused for a moment. She had four left that she needed to speak with... "After I speak with Lincoln, I would have like to have a talk with Lynn. She's the last of the older ones, and given her outburst...I feel I would have to put her in front of the twins to address any potential issues she may have."

Rita nodded. "Lynn has a pretty competitive streak in her that I believe comes from her father. He used to be quite the sportsman back in his day. Though at times...she gets a bit _too_ competitive..."

"Noted. I'll see what I can do." The Latin woman walked through the door and went to her office. Sitting down at her desk, she picked up the office phone and scrolled through the 'Received Calls' list until she found the number she was looking for.

* * *

Lynn Sr. was watching cartoons with his son as the latter was eating the lunch brought up to him from the clinic's kitchen. No longer having mouth pains, Lincoln could now afford to begin eating solid foods, and as such had asked for a chicken along with some green beans and apple sauce. Said poultry was a bit warm when it finally got up to him, something that irritated Lynn. For a place that's supposed to care for their patients, they sure had a lousy way of delivering food long after it would've been at the ideal temperature to eat. Even taking a small piece, the father frowned at how stale it tasted. Little seasoning, or lack of thereof. He made a mental note to speak with whoever ran the kitchen and try to get them to make better foods, and also made a serious note to take Lincoln out for some _REAL_ food when he was discharged.

Feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket, Lynn took it out and was confused by the number. "Ms. Lopez?" He asked to no one in particular, causing Lincoln look at him in confusion. "Sorry sport, give me a sec." The patriarch answered. "Hello?"

 _"Hello Mr. Loud. I've been informed from the rest of your family that Lincoln's...condition...seems to be getting worse due to frequent night terrors. While I had been originally planning to speak with him once he's available, well...your daughters requested that I do an over-the-phone session to help him. While I don't exactly have much faith in such sessions, I felt it would be a good idea to hear your sons thoughts. Is he currently with you?"_

"Yes. He's eating lunch at the moment."

 _"Oh."_ Miranda said a little dejectedly. _"I can call back later if you-"_

Lynn's eyes widened. "No no no! It's fine. The food here isn't exactly great anyway. Give me a second."

"Um, dad. Who are you talking to?" Lincoln asked, his mouth half full.

"Son, remember when I said you were going to get some help? Well, you're about to speak with a professional therapist concerning...your fears. We know you're afraid of your sisters and had been speaking with her since yesterday about everything that's happened. She's not only spoke with me and your mother, but also a number of your sisters. Not sure about what they spoke of, but it seemed to trouble them more than they let on given how they acted since. I know this is probably a lot to take in, but she's a professional and will help you with anything you need. So, don't be afraid to let your thoughts flow, ok?"

"O-Ok." Lincoln replied, a little nervous. The fact this therapist had already spoke with the girls put Lincoln on edge, a part of him thinking the girls might have twisted their words to make it seem like he was in the wrong about something. Was this supposed doctor going to make him feel worse than he already did? Or possibly tell him that the girls were in the right whole time and make him understand everything was his fault? Lincoln didn't outright trust this professional, but he did trust the word of his parents, who were doing everything in their power to help him.

Lincoln hesitantly grabbed his father's phone. "...H-Hello?"

 _"Hi, am I speaking to Lincoln Loud?"_ A female voice responded.

"Yes?"

 _"Hi Lincoln, my name is Dr. Lopez. How are you today?"_

"Dr. Lopez?...wait, you're the therapist my friend Clyde sees a lot, right?"

 _"Yes, that would be correct."_

"Ok, that's good to know." Lincoln said, calming down. "Oh, sorry I hadn't answered your question...as of right now, I'm doing ok, I guess? I mean, my arm is healing nicely and I've gotten a little used to walking again. Some of my friends had visited me over the week and it was nice to see them too."

 _"That's very pleasant to know. It's always joyful to have acquaintances visiting. So...is there anything that you're currently having issues with?"_

"Well..." Lincoln shifted a bit in his bed. "It's...a bit complicated...I'm not gonna get in trouble for talking about it, am I?"

 _"On heavens no. I'm just here to help. Now, from what I understand from your parents, you've been having night terrors as of late, and they're making you feel a certain way towards some members of your family. Would it be ok if we discussed them?"_

The boy sat silently for a moment. He wasn't fond of going over the nightmares that plagued his sleep for the last 7 days, especially with how terrifying they were. But, Dr. Lopez said she was there to help him get through this. With what limited knowledge of therapy he knew from Clyde, she'd probably tell him that fear was just some figment our brains make up as a defense mechanism. Or something similar. Lincoln looked to his father, who gave him a warm smile in return.

The boy sighed a bit. "Y-Yes, it would..."

 _"So, to start, I'll let you know that this information can be kept between us, as I will not tell a soul about our discussions unless you want it. You are however, free to talk about our sessions on your own. Sound good?"_

"Yes..." Lincoln looked to his father. "Um, dad? I'd hate to ask, but..."

"Don't worry sport, I understand. I'll just be watching from the window." Lynn got up and exited the room. Seconds later, Lincoln could see him peeking through the glass.

 _"Now tell me, when did these nightmares begin?"_

"...T-They started the same day I ended up in the hospital..."

 _"Can you describe what the main premise of the dream was about?"_

"It was about my s-sisters, and...they...they were trying to k-kill me..."

Miranda jotted down notes on her end. "Well, that's pretty straight-forward..." She muttered to herself. "Has this been a recurring issue going on?"

 _"I-It has...just about every time I fall asleep...I get one regarding some bad incident that happened in the past...the last one I had was probably the most horrible one I've had so far..."_

"Interesting...have you always had bad moments with your sisters?" While Miranda knew this wasn't true, she wanted to know how Lincoln thought of this.

 _"_ Not all the time..." Lincoln pushed the desk holding the food tray to the side as he lied down in the bed. "But after what happened last Sunday, I...I'm not sure...they always seem to get along so well, and since I'm the only other guy in house...I just feel like the odd-one-out you know?...I've done things in the past that angered my sisters, and we do get into fights sometimes, but it was never this bad..." The doctor could hear sniffling on the line. " _I thought...I thought that they wouldn't stop until I was no longer b-breathing..."_ Lincoln started to cry softly on the phone, which tugged at Miranda's heartstrings.

 _"I'm...I'm sorry to hear that..."_

 _"_ For the last several days...I kept having nightmares about that becoming a reality...my 9 sisters finding and succeeding in...finishing the job...because my screw-ups. I've humiliated them once just to get a trophy, I fought with them over a car seat, clogged the toilet numerous times, I cursed at my oldest sister just because she sat on my game goggles, stopped doing my chores all because I felt like I was getting the worst one...cleaning up after the pets is probably worse than taking out the trash...I even tried to get out of football practice when mom signed me up for it, all because I was too lazy to exercise! As a result, my sister Lynn got her ankle sprained..."

Miranda listened intently as Lincoln went on a triad of self-hate, describing moments where he had been a jerk to his sisters. Such examples were making the girls tone down their power usage when he couldn't do the same thing, stealing Lynn's bike because he didn't want to be embarrassed being seen with the hand-me-down he got from Lori, kicking the girls out of the pool he bought because he couldn't use it, the time he made his sisters dress up for a family photo, and the time he had his sisters wait on him hand and foot because he couldn't decide which place they could all go for a vacation. The doctor could see right away that Lincoln wasn't a saint, much like the rest of his sisters, but some of the info he gave her seemed...off. From what she recalled after speaking with some of the girls, some of those events he described were those where he was only had a limiting influence, or if it was on him entirely, he made up for it.

 _"After thinking about all of that up to this point...I felt like...like I deserved what happened...I've been nothing but an idiot who just gets in the way of my sisters' talents and traits...they're all good at something, but me?...All I do is read comics all day and play video games..."_ Lincoln sniffled again. " _That's probably why they did it...they wanted to get rid of the only person whose useless in the house...I'm...I'm so afraid of them that any time I see o-one of them I get reminded of my dreams..."_

Lincoln set the phone down to grab a tissue. His nose was getting runny and he had to wipe his eyes dry. In the hallway, Lynn couldn't understand what his son was talking about, but given the 11 year old's sad expressions, it couldn't be anything good.

 _"...This beating clearly mentally scarred the poor boy. To think his sisters want to murder him...that's why he has such a strong reaction to them when they're near...on top of that, said fear is feeding into self-deprecation."_ The psychologist thought. Looking over her notes, she glanced at the number 9 for a moment. Didn't Lincoln have 10 sisters? Was there one he doesn't have a negative reaction to? "Mind if we backtrack for a moment Lincoln? When you described your nightmares, you said _nine_ of your siblings are involved, but if I recall, you have ten. Is there one that you aren't afraid of?"

"Well...there's Lily. She's the baby of the family and I don't think she'll ever do anything to hurt me because she's so young...and because of that I doubt she'd be able to help me..."

"Has she been there for you since this situation began?"

"...Yes, she has."

"Well, it seems she's helping the best she can despite being an infant. She wants to see her brother get well. In fact, the rest of your sisters do as well. This may be hard to believe due to your nightmares, and you may not trust me since I have spoken with them, but your sisters...aren't who you think they are. They have been trying to make amends to you for what happened, but it seems your fears have prevented you from seeing that. Dreams can often alter one's perception of reality into believing a certain way, but that doesn't mean what happened in a dream is actual reality. While it is possible that dreams can be viewpoints of the future, they should not be taken as face value."

Lincoln remained silent for a moment. "I'm... I'm a little confused by that..."

 _"What I mean is, just because something happened in a dream, doesn't make it real. It's all a matter of an idea being in our heads. I understand your fears about your sisters wanting to hurt you again, but I can assure you that is the furthest thing from their minds."_

"...You say that...but I'm not too sure though...at times I think it's just a ruse to make me think that's what they want and get me when I least expect it...I had a few nightmares where one of my sisters apologized...only to... _seriously_ wound me a moment later...one such dream I had involved Luna playing her guitar so loud I felt my head would explode...I couldn't hear anything in my dream afterwards, and next thing I knew, I felt a searing pain the back of my head because she bashed my skull with said instrument...but I was so thankful I still had my hearing when I woke up, though my head was hurting afterwards..."

 _"I understand that. It's just something I want you to think about. It's important to remember that fear is only a concept that exists in our minds. Sometimes such fears like yours can be rational, while others can be irrational. It exists primarily as a defense mechanism in our brains to warn us of danger. Such examples are people being afraid of spiders or snakes, even when they're harmless. Whether we choose to believe in them is entirely based on choice. Sometimes I fear my son might get a coin stuck in his throat, but I ignore this by not letting it get to me and tell him to put change in his pocket. You have the option of not letting your nightmares get to you, and it's never too late to let go of your fears."_

Lincoln didn't respond, thinking about what Dr. Lopez had told him. Could all of this just be in his head? Were his sisters really trying to apologize to him this whole time for beating him up? They did bring a chocolate cake with them a few days ago. Lincoln wasn't as big of a fan of chocolate like his sisters, but wouldn't have turned down a treat like that in any other situation. He never got the chance to enjoy it since he flipped with all of his sisters being there at once. However, despite Miranda's rationale, he can't help not taking her advice to heart. Lincoln was hurt mentally, and his dreams felt so vividly real, that it was hard for him to accept her advice. Still, it was very sound advice, and it felt wrong to just deny her statements.

"Thank you Ms. Lopez, but...it's just...I...I'll think about..." Lincoln finally spoke.

 _"Please do Lincoln. I'm here for you if you need someone to talk with. I can be sure we'll meet in person when you become available. I don't exactly have much faith in phone sessions..."_ Miranda bemused.

"Yeah...I would like to talk with you again. Clyde said a lot of great things about you, and he wasn't lying. But, can I ask a favor?"

 _"Hmm?"_

Lincoln looked at the window to see that his dad was still watching him. He covered the receiver with his hand and whispered into it. "Please don't tell my parents about what I dream of my sisters doing...they're worried enough already as it is..."

 _"You have my word Lincoln. I won't utter a word to anyone, but I must ask: will you tell them at some point?"_

A still silence was met on both ends, Miranda waiting for Lincoln to answer and the middle child thinking it over. If he really wanted help, from his family especially, he'd have to let them know what's really going on with him. He could only imagine how heartbreaking his mother and Lily would be if he told them the truth. As far as they knew, he just had bad dreams about the other girls, not the severity of their situation. The only thing Lincoln told his dad was that his dreams were getting worse, which brought up this current conversation. Maybe opening up more would be more beneficial than keeping a closed mouth.

"I will..." Lincoln told her.

 _"Noted. Is there anything else you want to talk about?"_

Lincoln did have a few other things on his mind, but he didn't think it'd be comfortable discussing them in his current setting. Not only that, his dad's phone was feeling unusually warm on his ear and he was getting tired of having to crane his neck or hold it in his hand. "No."

 _"Ok. Well, I thank you for your time and I will speak with you again at a later date Just let me know when you want to talk, as my phone is always open."_

"Ok. Thank you." After that, the line went dead. The chip-toothed male stared at the device for what felt like an eternity, lost his in own thoughts. His head was swimming in a heated discussion that probably mirrored some congressional session. His fear, guilt, common sense, and some added rationale were all voicing their decisions, and it was beginning to give him a headache. One thing was certain though, Lincoln couldn't decide whether he shouldn't be afraid of his sisters and try to forgive them, and part of him still felt like a 'philistine' as Lola would call him. But at the same time, Dr. Lopez's words pierced him like a bullet, making him see things he hadn't thought about until now.

A knock on the door got his attention. "Hey sport, you done yet? Had to go use the can." Lynn asked as he poked his head in. Seeing his son was no longer using his phone, he took that as a 'yes'. "So, how did it go?"

"It was...ok for the most part."

"Anything you wanna talk about?"

Lincoln shook his head. He looked at what remained of his lunch. "Can you throw my food away dad? I'm not really hungry anymore..."

"Sure. Still can't believe they don't have any decent cooks around here." Lynn grabbed the tray and dumped the contents in the trash, leaving the tray on the desk for a nurse to come claim later. "How about for dinner your old man brings you some quality cooking?" The patriarch ruffled his son's hair.

The 11 year old gave his father a small smile. "That would be nice."

* * *

Miranda looked over notes taken from Lori, Lisa, Leni, and Luna. "So, it seems Lincoln is retroactively blaming himself for incidents that he only partially played a role in...that's definitely something I'll discuss with him when I get the chance. Still can't believe he thinks his sisters want to kill him. Then again, he's only 11...which also makes it easy to understand why his fears are amplifying his guilt. I'm starting to think it's not the beating itself that has Lincoln so jumpy, but more so the night terrors he's been having since then. And this has been going on for a week?...ugh, got a lot to work with." The doctor said to no one in particular.

The good thing was she successfully gauged at what stage his fears are at currently. There are four stages to the progression of fear: stress, anxiety, avoidance, and reinforcement. With Lincoln's nightmares and his reactions to his sisters, he's currently at stage two. However, Miranda predicts he'll be at stage three even after he's released from the hospital. If it progresses any further, he'll be given the time to reinforce his fears and potentially sever whatever ties he has with his siblings, something the doctor doesn't want to happen. In some cases, other psychologists would say Lincoln is already at stage four, where he's created memories that are slightly or deeply altered from what they really are. Said memories would be instances where his sisters stressed him out, thus increasing his reasoning to avoid them. This seems to be the case given his panic attacks. However, Miranda believes Lincoln isn't that far down the road yet. Taking her pen, she made a self-note to talk with Lincoln explain the concepts of fear further.

Drawing her attention away from the ailing boy, Miranda looked to ready herself for the next person she was due to speak with. From what the therapist knew, Lynn Loud Jr. was described as being the most athletic and sporty of the kids. With this in mind, Miranda also assumed this made the girl edgy and competitive (as Rita noted), and possibly a small ego to boot. It wasn't uncommon for people in sports to boast about their skills. The other Loud sisters didn't speak too much about her, as she wasn't the main focus, but the doctor also assumed Lynn to be a bit aggressive given her stance when she walked out of her office to make a phone call.

Miranda tapped her desk phone. "Gigi, can you ask Lynn Jr. to come to my office? I'd like to have a chat with her."

"Yeah, give me a sec." The Hispanic woman could hear the lady's voice from the speaker. "Which one of you is Lynn Jr.? The doctor wants to see you."

Seconds later, the door opened. Lynn was a bit more relaxed than she previously was, but the jock didn't expect to be called. She played rock-paper-scissors with Lucy and the twins to see who'd go next, with Lana winning. She did her best not to let the loss bug her too much, as this was just to have therapy, but Lynn wanted to get this session over with. It was building up her anxiety just sitting there for hours not doing anything. As such, Lynn was both surprised and relieved when Rita told her that she'd be next, after Ms. Lopez spoke with Lincoln. That part made the brunette nervous. She wondered what Lincoln had said to the doctor, thinking he may have brought up all the times she had been rough with him and revealed that she broke his arm. She already felt guilty enough for damaging her brother in such a fashion, which was amplified given how Lincoln was outright terrified of her now. Lynn already had her ass kicked by Ronnie Anne, Polly and Margo refused to speak with her, so the last thing she needed was the doctor to guilt trip her even more.

"Hello Lynn. How are you feeling today?" Miranda started.

"...Like the rest of my sisters, pretty crappy..." Lynn replied, sitting on the lounging chair.

 **A/N: Now Lincoln has something to put into perspective. It's still a long road to recovery for him, that's for certain. I was thinking of doing the twins next, but since Lynn is the last of the older half of the girls, it's best to get her out of the way, particularly since in both stories she's in dire straits, and it would shed a bit of light on her character since many view her in a negative light. Hopefully I won't take long to put that chapter up.**


	19. Bad Reputation

**A/N: So, in this chapter of 'Sister-Phobia', we will cover a character whose been on the receiving end of a near endless amount of hatred. It's often said that Lynn's character is the most static out of all of her sisters due to little episodes focusing on her, and the ones that did have ruined her reputation. There was a time this little sporty girl was the most likable character in the show people could relate to. She's very energetic, playful, well-versed in the world of sports, and is one of the sisters Lincoln has a close bond with. However, as the series went on, due to a lack of character development, people began to see Lynn as a brutish bully with an ego problem. An infamous episode amped this up by a factor of 10, making Lynn the most hated main character in the show. Such a title used to be held by Lola, but she has since regained some fans due to a few good episodes centered around her. Lynn has only had one episode centered around her that didn't quite soften the hatred towards her.**

 **As such, we'll take a look into why Lynn acts the way she does. Not that she's a bad character, she just has issues expressing her love. However, it goes without saying that Lynn indeed has an ego problem.**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

"Well then, I'm sure you may be aware of how our process goes?" Miranda asked the teen.

"Not really since I haven't been in here until now..." Lynn muttered.

"It's very simple. As the terms of confidentiality go, what we talk about in this room can remain a secret if you wish. I won't tell anyone, but you are free to make use of that information as you will."

The adolescent shrugged. "Ok, that's fine..."

 _"Now for the most obvious question of the day..."_ The doctor sighed internally, having went through this same process several times by now. "So tell me, considering everything that's happened, how do you feel about it all?"

Lynn's face contorted into a frown. "Like I said, crappy...my brother's afraid of me, I can't do any sports, all of my friends have left me, I got my butt kicked by an 11 year old last Monday, and the silver lining? I deserved every single part of it..."

"Would you say you've had a troubling relationship with your siblings before any of these recent events occurred?"

"It was rocky sure, but it didn't get like...all of this...I don't talk with my older sisters much, but we do get along well. My younger sisters on the other hand, two of them I kinda have a few issues with, but with Lucy and Lana, I get along with just fine. It's a bit disappointing almost none of them are into sports though."

"I see. In relation to your older siblings, is there a particular reason you don't associate with them?"

Lynn folded her arms. "...In all honesty, between Lori's bossiness, Leni's...not-so-smartness, Luna's loud tunes and Luan's lame jokes, they make me irritated a lot...and since you might as ask about Lola and Lisa, well one's a brat, and the other thinks we're her personal guinea pigs..."

Miranda could somewhat agree with that, particularly since the elder siblings already expressed themselves. "And why do you seem close to Lana and Lucy?"

"That's easy. Out of the twins, Lana and Lola are like total opposites. Lola likes to be 'prim and proper' and 'showing some class' or whatever it is she goes on about, but Lana...she's like me. She's not afraid of getting dirty, she's a bit tough considering that she likes to wrestle gators, and the best part is she loves play fighting. She's probably the closest thing to a boy in the house besides myself and...my brother..."

The doctor noted the sadness on Lynn's face upon mentioning Lincoln. She'd bring him up in a minute, as she wanted to know the relationship between Lynn and Lucy. "What about Lucy? What is she like?"

"She's an emo, plain and simple. Always dark, moody, and outright depressed. She loves the dark so much she always hides in the vents of the house writing poems." The athlete gave a snort. "She even spray painted the whole room black at one point. It was around the time we were supposed to start saving energy to save some polar bear. That made me really mad because it's not like she's the only one in there. I'm practically in the room whenever she's off hiding somewhere, and she keeps popping up out of nowhere, scaring the crap out of us! And don't get me started with her constant sighing. It gets annoying real fast. She's always like 'sigh'...'sigh'...'sigh'. Would it kill her to smile more for a change? Lucy always goes on with how depressing life is, but I hardly see it."

"She doesn't sound like an ideal roommate for someone like you."

"You're right. She's not. In fact, we had such a big fight at one point that I decided I couldn't sleep in the same room with her for a while." Lynn lied back on the chair, arms spread apart. "That was, until I realized I actually missed having her as my roommate...during the time I was staying with...another of my siblings...I saw her poetry book on the steps. I was about to just toss it elsewhere, but I decided to peek at it because I wanted to see what she gets so depressed about. That book...had some really deep stuff in there...I don't know much about poetry, but I could at least understand what it was mainly about. When Lucy says she writes poems to express her pain, it wasn't a figure of speech...she feels like she's always forgotten and no one cares about her. I even saw a poem where she just says hi to us and we all keep getting freaked out by it because we didn't see her coming...I guess that's a bad habit all of us do, but since she's so quiet in a house like ours, she often goes unnoticed...at that point, I forgot about why we were fighting and wanted to make it up to her, but...I just couldn't..."

Miranda was taking notes on this. "And what was the reason for your fight starting?"

Lynn paused for a moment. "After having repainted the room back to it's normal color, I found out she spray painted over some of my clothes and gear...she said I should get over it, and she's right, I should have...but that didn't mean she was allowed to paint our room black. It took forever to wash all of that paint off my stuff! I didn't want to give her that satisfaction of making it seem like I was being a big baby about it."

"So how did you two manage to reconcile?"

"My brother helped us make up...he was right about everything that happened then: me and Lucy missed each other but were too stubborn to admit it...I didn't think Lucy had much pride going for her, but I guess we aren't that different you know?..."

"I find it to be an interesting dynamic between you two. You seem to be energetic and joyful while Lucy seems to be more reserved and depressed, and yet you two still manage to make up even if it required an outside source. The love you both have for each other is probably still strong to this day."

Lynn looked tot he side. "I guess so..."

"Now, moving on, what do you think of your brother?"

Lynn gave a deep frown. There were a lot of things she could say to describe Lincoln, most of them being synonymous of each other: a nerd, wimpy, couch potato, lazy, comic geek, afraid to take a hit, doesn't exercise...afraid of his own sisters, living in a nightmare, a victim of circumstance, taken advantage of...those were the last parts Lynn thought about when picturing her brother the last time she saw him. She felt her eyes beginning to water as she reimagined Lincoln begging for mercy after seeing all of his sisters in the same room as him.

"H-He's..." Lynn's voice was breaking. "He's someone who didn't deserve any of this..."

Miranda frowned. She hated having to make someone revisit painful memories, but the best way to move past them, was through talking them out and letting them flow. "Do you have a close relationship with him?"

Lynn nodded. "...Ever since we were babies, I've always played with Lincoln. We both used to play fight with each other, pass the ball around, play on the see-saw and swings at the park...we even shared a room until the twins were born and I got stuck with Lucy...when I started getting into sports, I thought Lincoln might join in as well since he was a boy. I thought all boys wanted to do was get into something sporty, but Lincoln wasn't that kind of guy. As we got older, we started to hang less and less until the point we hardly hang out with each other. He's into comics and I'm into sports...I missed the times we used to play around, so I would ask him...sometimes force him to help me practice for something, even if I didn't need to...it was my way of trying to bring back those times we were close, but he'd just get annoyed and would want to go back to reading Ace Savvy. I even tried rough-housing him just to see if he'd fight back and remember the times we used to do that...all that did is irritate him, but I really wanted him to try to fight back for another reason..."

"Which is?"

"I've seen people similar to Lincoln around school a lot, and they are ALWAYS the main targets for bullies...I want to see if he has any fight in him. If he does, then it shouldn't be hard teaching him how to defend himself. I've chased off bullies for him before...but there was one who actually had a different motive than just tormenting him..."

* * *

Three months ago, school was running as normal as it typically would. The consolidated grades took on a load of newer students at the beginning of the semester, and with new students comes new targets for bullies. Naturally, those with the biggest egos would pick on the new kids and the nerds, as a way of trying to establish some sort of pecking order. Lynn wasn't new to any of this, as she herself had been subjected to the harsh treatment of bullying at one point. The jock had her fair share of boys and girls alike mocking her for her affiliation of sports. Even a few girls, mainly some fat kids who were larger than her in height and girth, tried to push her around (the boys refused to hit girls). But, with a few karate moves, Lynn taunt them to show some respect. That, and she was a quick learner in the world of sports, and needless to say the males were embarrassed to be shown up by a member of the opposite gender.

That was years ago. By now, Lynn Loud Jr. was well known to be one of the best sports players in the school, as well as someone you shouldn't mess with or her affiliates, particularly her siblings. Quite a few bullies learned this the hard way when they targeted Lincoln or Lucy. Today, Lynn was sitting in the cafeteria munching on a sloppy joe when she heard her brother scream out for some reason. Turning her head, she saw him digging such a sandwich from his pants.

The jock groaned inwardly. "That's just great..."

"Someone pickin' on Linc again?" Polly asked.

"Unfortunately...not that I mind stickin' up for Linc and setting the record straight, but it gets tiresome after a while. I thought every bully got that message the last time a group of boys picked on him."

"Well, it might be that new bully in the 5th grade class."

"And who would that be Margo?" Lynn asked.

"There's this new kid that joined recently. She's Mexican I think, wears a purple hoodie all the time. She goes by Ronnie Anne, and she's gotten quite the rep for being the toughest bully in her class. I heard that she climbed to the top of the food chain weeks after she arrived, and now no one messes with her."

"Well, she clearly hasn't met _me_. If it is her, she won't be thinkin' so high and mighty once I'm done with her." Lynn boasted.

"Just don't get caught, cause last time, you got suspended for it." Margo added.

The jock chortled. "Not my fault they were asking for it. I still got the lesser sentence, and my parents took me out for ice cream afterwards."

"Just saying. The principal isn't too fond of you right now." The lighter-shade brunette girl persisted.

As the day dragged on, Lynn went about her business like usual: boring old history, boring old science, and worst of all...boring, hateful, math. The 13 year old was practically ready to jump out the building when the final bell rang. But one harsh sight told her she had some important business to attend to. As she was heading towards the front of the building, she heard a large group of students laughing at something. From the sounds of it, some nerd was another victim of some bully. Normally, she wouldn't have thought much about it. However, Lynn could see some camera's flashing, meaning people were also taking pictures. Her curiosity peeked, and the jock made her way over to the group. Since she wasn't as tall as what would be considered average for her age, seeing as Luan was literally a head taller but only a year older, Lynn had to lean on one of the students in the back to get a clearer view. The second she saw what attracted the mockery of the student body, Lynn felt her blood boil.

Lincoln was pulling himself out of a pile of garbage that had been stuffed into his locker. He looked more annoyed than embarrassed, which made the situation ever so slightly less aggravating since it seemed Lincoln wasn't as spineless as Lynn thought. But from within that crowd, that's when Lynn saw the girl Margo was talking about. The female in question was dark-skinned, looked about Lincoln's age, had some slightly prominent buck teeth, wore a purple hoodie with blue shorts, and currently held a smug grin at her handy work. As soon as Lynn set her sights on the girl, she gave a glare so fierce that she might have had skulls and crossbones in the place of her pupils. The athlete had half the mind to take her on right then and there, giving the students something _good_ to laugh at. However, remembering her friend's words, Lynn couldn't risk it. She was already on ice with the Principal at this point. Even if her intentions were noble, fighting during school hours wasn't allowed regardless of who started it. However, that didn't mean she'd be able to catch this bully _after_ school.

A single thought ran through Lynn's mind as she formed a plan. "Once _she gets out that door, that little bitch is gonna eat bricks..."_

As such, Lynn stood out front of the school, waiting for her target to appear. She saw Lucy and the twins leave, her roommate questioning why she was still here. One look at her face told Lucy all she needed to know before leaving the sports fanatic to her own thoughts. Patience wasn't Lynn's best asset, but if it meant getting another bully off her sibling's backs, she could afford to buy her time. The 13 year old was thinking of ways of getting the message across to this Hispanic punk who had the audacity to pull that shit on her brother. Sure, she may be 11, but an 11 year old who thinks it's perfectly ok to stuff trash in someone's locker clearly needs to learn some manners. Obviously, she was going to leave bruises, and maybe knock a few teeth loose. Perhaps a black eye would do as well, and maybe some pulled hair? Lynn shook her head. That may have been too much.

The jock ducked out of sight when she saw Lincoln and Clyde leave, not wanting them to know of her presence. Lynn could see that Lincoln still looked irritated and had a peace of gum stuck to his hair, making her growl to herself. Hair _ripping_ was _definitely_ on the list now. Two minutes after they left, Lynn spotted the hoodie wearing girl. Right as she was passing her, Lynn wrapped an arm around the girls neck, nearly choking her and surprising the hell out of her. Dragging the struggling 5th grader to the side of the school, she hoisted the girl up and slammed her into the brick wall.

The Hispanic girl coughed to even her breaths, trying to pry Lynn's hands from her sweater. "What's your deal?!"

"Do you have _any_ idea who I am?..." Lynn said in a low voice.

"Should I care?..." The girl replied in a nonchalant tone, earning her another smack into the wall.

"I'm the older sister of a certain white-headed boy who you thought was a good idea to prank. You may not know it here new girl, but if _anyone_ messes with my siblings, they get a first look at how crazy Lynn-sanity can be!" The jock spoke through gritted teeth.

"Lynn-sanity?...what kind of name is-OW OW OW!" The girl was cut short as Lynn grabbed the ponytail of her hair and yanked it down, her head now stuck at an uncomfortable angle.

"Careful, I might just _tear it off_...what's your name?..."

"R-Ronnie Anne..." The girl winced in pain, losing her cool.

"Well Ronnie Anne, from what I've heard, you've made quite the name for yourself. Is it true you're the 'toughest girl in school'?"

"That's what everyone tells me." Ronnie Anne glared.

"Well guess what, you aren't. Maybe in your class, but in comparison to me, you're just another bully who needs to be taught a lesson." Lynn started to chuckle. "It's funny though. After all the bullies I've chased away from Lincoln, you're the first one whose a _girl_. So why the hell were you picking on my brother?..."

Ronnie Anne opened her mouth, but Lynn silenced her for a moment. "Oh, and if I don't like your answer, you can say goodbye to those buck teeth of yours. And be quick about it, because I don't like being around trash like you."

The 11 year old glared at Lynn for a few moments, before losing her defiant look. Whatever insults she would've spoke died in her mouth at that threat. Ronalda knew she could take on anyone in her class, but she doubted her ability to handle an enraged 13 year old with a knack for sports, especially when that person was _very_ protective of their siblings. She knew the real reason as to why she kept picking on Lincoln, but she was quite embarrassed to talk about it. Her cheeks reddened a bit just thinking about the boy. Lynn shifted her weight a bit and removed her hand from the girl's ponytail, cocking her fist back.

"Time's up punk." Was all she said before launching the first punch.

Ronalda's eyes went wide and held her hands up to defend her face. "I-I like your brother ok?!"

The Hispanic girl never felt the impact of the teen's fist, as it stopped an inch from her face. Lynn stood there, equally baffled. "You what?"

"I said, I l-like Lincoln ok? I've...I've had a crush on him for a while but didn't know how to approach him, so...I thought maybe pranking would get him to notice me. I even left notes on the pranks so he'd know who it was. It seemed to work since he wanted me to meet him at his house at 3:30..."

Lynn was rather conflicted. It didn't make any sense. From what she knew, boys and girls didn't bully each other to show signs of affection. Granted, she did rough-house with Lincoln frequently, but only because they were siblings and she knew he could handle it. But for showing love to someone like that whose a complete stranger?...She was calling bullshit on this farce.

"That's ridiculous. And if you really liked him, why the hell did you stuff trash in his locker?!"

"My other pranks didn't seem to work, so I...did something a bit more drastic?" Ronalda smiled sheepishly.

Lynn wasn't too happy with that answer. "Really?...And who told you to do that?"

"It's what my brother said when he got his girlfriend Lori."

Lynn blinked twice. She thought Lori was joking when she described how she and Bobby got together. Guess that tale wasn't entirely made up. Looking over Ronnie Anne, Lynn could see the embarrassment on the preteen's face as well as the hesitation. She really ought to pound her for embarrassing Lincoln the way she did, but it seemed the 5th grader was just desperate for the attention of a boy she liked, even though her reasoning was questionable. While Lynn didn't agree with Ronalda's way of grabbing her brother's focus, she was just following advice given to her from Bobby. Lynn made a note to ask Lori some important questions when she got home.

Giving a sigh, Lynn released Ronnie Anne. "So, you _really_ like my brother?"

Ronnie Anne nodded.

"Well, lucky for you, I won't carve your face into the pavement since you need to look good for him. But if I catch you pranking him again, you're not gonna like the outcome..." To enforce her point, Lynn put a fist to her own eye, implying the bruise it would leave.

With that said, the jock left the Hispanic girl to collect herself as she walked home.

* * *

"So what occurred after that?" Miranda asked.

"I got home shortly after Lincoln did. I saw him making a poor attempt to hide the gum in his hair, but didn't say anything unless he openly came out and said it. Turns out he told Lisa, so I told everyone else because at that point, they would've found out eventually. I had to put up a ruse to act like I didn't know what was going on, even dragging some boy off the street to act as his potential bully. I apologized to the kid and gave him $5 for putting up the act. After everyone hounded the information out of him, Lincoln finally said it was a girl. I acted happy at the moment, but wasn't entirely certain about the whole thing given what I knew. Lori told him, and I quote 'When a girl picks on you, that only ever means one thing: _she likes you~_.' Of course, I sighed inwardly because now I knew where Ronnie Anne really got that crap from. Long story short, we ended up convincing Lincoln to kiss her, which he did...and got punched in the face. Ronnie Anne ran off in a hurry right afterwards, either from the shock of what she did or because she thought I might kill her." The teen rubbed her nose.

Lynn shifted a bit on the couch into a more relaxed position. "Next day before school, she was practically scared that I was going to knock her head off, but instead I asked why she punched him. She just acted on impulse because she didn't expect the kiss. I was surprised Lincoln actually went for it...ironically, Ronnie Anne really was able to kick my butt..."

"Considering your affiliation for sports and how angry you seemed at the time, I find it quite hard to believe that." The doctor stated.

"Well, to be fair, she was only able to because I was depressed and felt like I deserved that ass-kicking...if I wasn't, I could've taken her. But that doesn't matter...no matter how many times I've defended Lincoln, I _still_ failed to protect him...the only bully that was actually able to wound him...w-was me..." Lynn sniffled. "During that stupid f-fight...the only thing I cared about was hurting him as much as possible...I'm...I'm the reason he has a broken arm right now...any time we played around, I never went too hard on him...sometimes I got a little ahead of myself, but it didn't result in broken bones...I wanted to apologize to my little brother so bad that it hurt seeing him the way he was when I first visited him after getting my mouth checked...any time I look at him now, I can't help but stare at his damaged arm, knowing that _I_ did this to him...and now...now he'll see me as nothing but someone whose bullied him for the last 4 years..." Hot tears began to run down Lynn's cheeks. "At first I thought he h-hated me after he smacked me with his food tray during that first visit...maybe that wouldn't be as bad cause the most he might do is refuse to speak to me...but he's _afraid_ of me now!...He can't even look at me without thinking I'm going to...going to hurt him or w-worse!..."

Lynn sat up to grab a few tissues, her nose beginning to run. After cleaning her sinuses, she balled the used tissues up and tossed them into the waste bin, the tissues landing in perfectly. "...I'm no better than those idiots who picked on my brother...I've probably forced him to play with me because I knew he was weak, and an easy target...all of our fights were pretty one-sided cause I was always stronger than him...Lincoln no doubt thinks I just played around with him just to boost my own ego..."

Miranda jotted all of this down. "...When you said ego, would you say that you are a bit boastful?"

"...That would be an understatement...I've gloated in front of my siblings, doing a victory dance over a _board game_ of all things if that gives you a picture. And trust me when I say this, it was _not_ a good weekend for me..." Lynn grimaced, recalling her competitive nature being thrown into overdrive over losing one such game. "Technically, all of us have done a victory dance at one point or another over something small like being the first up the stairs, but thanks to my siblings, I learned to dial it back...I've also got some superstitious issues, mainly because Lucy is my roommate and she always claims she talks with ghosts or our great grandmother. Being around her has made me think doing certain things is good luck, but now that I think about it, it's just...stupid you know? I've had to pee or poop during several games and we still managed to win, and trust me, it's not easy having to keep a turd in for hours...it's not that bad right now, but it could be a whole lot worse...I might've done something idiotic and blame Lincoln as bad luck for a lost sports game for all I know..."

"But you have it under control now right?"

Lynn nodded.

"Now, recall what you said earlier about you being a bully. You told me that you've fought off other bullies to protect your brother and sisters. Now, before you told me the story of how you met Ronnie Anne, you were not only playing with him to not only relive past memories, but also get him to fight back, correct."

"Yes...but I don't think it's ever worked..."

"Possibly, but you are on the right step to teaching your brother how to stand up for himself. Bullies will often strike at any opportunity. While your actions have mirrored that to a tee, you never meant any ill-will towards Lincoln. All of the times you've caught him by surprise, does it seem like he's gotten better at expecting when you will wrestle him or toss an object at him?"

Lynn lied there in thought as she searched her mind for an answer. "I...I guess? He's gotten better at dodging, but not so much as using force like I would want him to."

"It's still a step in the right direction. While it is important to teach younger siblings how to defend themselves, it's not a good idea to enforce the idea upon them at a moments notice, nor force them to participate if they are not in the mood. What you could do is ask Lincoln if he wants to know how to defend himself. While I'm certain there may come a time when he will have to fight his own battles, it's also important to take things slow, especially if no one is in any real immediate danger. On that note, you aren't a bully Lynn...like your sisters, you just let yourself get caught up in a wave of anger. You still love your brother and want what's best for him, but you need to help him on _his_ pace, not yours. It's much like trying to drive a tractor trailer and you just learned to drive a car. In the mean time, you could also help your sister Luan. I've noticed you seemed rather vexed if I'm assuming she told you about her bullying problem."

Lynn nodded, absorbing the doctor's advice. She wasn't one to take things slow, but for Lincoln's sake...she'd do whatever it takes to better her relationship with her brother. He's done a lot to help her in the past, even if it was for his own benefit. She did get a good laugh at the time when she bunked with him and he dressed as an emo to try to get her to leave. All it did was remind her of Lucy. During the whole football fiasco, she enjoyed playing the sport for him as well. Given his laziness, she knew Lincoln wouldn't last a minute out there. Lynn felt bad about that situation for weeks, especially since she got too cocky and had her ankle sprained. As a result, while Lincoln was taking responsibility for his actions, he still didn't know much about football and ended up scoring for the wrong team. And he got jumped by the Roosters afterwards. To ensure Lincoln wasn't harassed at school about it, she gave the Roosters a stern warning to leave the boy alone unless they felt wanted her attention. While it still irritated her that she couldn't quite fix Luan's past bullying problem, it did make sense to help her solve any _future_ bully problems.

Thinking about her brother, Lynn remembered that Dr. Lopez spoke with him before talking to her. She _had_ to know what was going on with him. It was killing her inside hearing about his nightmares getting worse, especially since she knew herself was involved in them. "...Is Lincoln doing ok?...Did you manage to help him out?"

Tense seconds passed in silence, Lynn unconsciously holding her breath as the psychologist looked over her notes. "Well, I have a good idea as to how far along his fears are, but I believe it's not too late to change his mind."

The athlete gave a small sigh. "I guess that's as good as it's gonna get..."

"So, is there anything else you have on your mind Lynn?"

"At the moment...no...but thanks for asking Ms. Lopez." Lynn got up from the chair and walked to the door.

"Oh and before I forget, could you ask the twins to come in?"

Lynn paused. "Wait, one, or _both_?"

"I would like to speak with them together."

 **A/N: When making this chapter, I found a few things could be a slight clichés given Lynn's character, such as being the one who would be most likely to protect Lincoln from aggressors, but it does make the most sense. Sure, Lincoln's other sisters could do it, but with Lynn being quite aggressive herself, she'd be an effective screen for not only Lincoln, but her sisters as well. As such, I added that scene taken from Heavy Meddle where she confronts Ronnie Anne about her pranks. Rather hard to hit someone when they thought their act of attention was innocent. Also I wanted to point out while Ronnie Anne did kick Lynn's ass in chapter 4, Lynn is still 13 and stronger than her. While this chapter may not stem the hate towards Lynn herself, I hope it does put some insight on her character.**


	20. Twinsanity

**A/N: After covering the sisters individually, this chapter will be a bit different. Instead of going separate, both 6 year olds have been asked to talk with Ms. Lopez together. And in this chapter, we will see why Lola is such a manipulative child and why Lana tends to like gross things. While Lana may not be as interesting since she hardly had a bad bone in her, Lola should be quite the opposite.**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

With Lynn Jr. out of the way, Miranda noted that she had 3 girls left to talk with. This would only take two sessions as she was having the twins in the same room together. While it seemed that Lana and Lola were well aware of the family's predicament, they were still six years old. As such, Miranda felt that it would put them both at ease if they had each other in the same room. This would be especially helpful when it came time to discuss their feelings. From what she knew about them so far, the twins were the most likely of the Louds to engage in physical confrontation. Miranda wasn't too concerned about this though, as it was perfectly normal for siblings to fight, especially identical twins. Another obvious indicator was the fact both girls dressed differently, leading to the main reason of such clashes being due differed personalities.

As if to be proven correct, Miranda could hear a scuffle just outside the door.

"No, I'm going first!" One feminine voice yelled.

"No, _I'm_ first!" A tomboyish voice yelled back.

"Beauty before age Lana! Plus, I'm a princess!"

"Well I'm the oldest of us both!"

Seconds later, Lana and Lola spilled through the door, pulling each other's hair and struggling to get the upper hand on one another. Miranda wasn't fazed by this in the slightest. In fact, she smiled. _"Sibling rivalry at its finest. Almost reminds me of when I fought with my brother."_ She thought.

"Girls, girls. Calm down. I wanted to talk with _BOTH_ of you." The psychologist stated.

Both twins looked at her before glancing at each other. Giving a sigh, they separated before sitting a few feet from each other on the lounging chair. Lola lied down while Lana lied on her back with her head hanging over the edge. She didn't seem to care too much about her hat falling off.

"So girls, how are you both feeling today?"

"Lethargic..." Lana spoke.

"Dreadful..." Lola quipped.

"...Ok then. Now, I'm sure you both know what we are here to discuss right?" Both six year olds nodded. "Ok, so what we will talk about can be strictly confidential, as in it will only be between us. I won't tell anyone, but you girls are free to talk about it with your family if you so wish. Sound good?"

Lana gave a hard glance at Lola. "...Why are you looking at me like that?" The princess asked in annoyance.

"Because you have a long history of being a motor mouth."

"I promised not to tell anyone about that stuff ok?! And you're the one to talk since you have mud breath!" Lola retorted.

"Glitter-face..."

"Potty mouth."

Lana sat up on her seat. "Stuck up princess."

"Gross eater!"

"Germaphobe!"

"Albutophobe!"

"Wait, what? I'm not Canadian!" Lana stated in confusion.

"It means, you're afraid of being clean you philistine!"

"That's funny since I've been forced to _STAY CLEAN_ since we got punished! Just like you can't wear your stupid sparkly towels!"

"It's called a GOWN you idiot!"

Miranda would've cut in by now, but she felt it was better to let the girls get their anger out. Plus, she was actually learning more about the twins as they continued to argue back and forth. In fact, she was making notes about the two while they were stuck in their petty squabbling.

"At least I don't threaten to spill secrets like a creep!"

Lola felt appalled by that statement. "I DO NOT! Not all the time at least."

Lana gave a harsh glare. "So I suppose that whole 'turning us into your slaves' thing was supposed to mean nothing? And it's also funny that you called me a philistine since you always like to call Lincoln that!"

"At least he actually _likes_ me more!" Lola said sharply. Lana couldn't help but laugh at that accusation. "What's so funny?!"

"I've been close to Linc ever since we were born! I never even had to get dirt on him just to ask him for help. Plus, I'm not a jerk like you, so if anything, he likes _ME_ more!"

Completely fed up, Lola pounced on her twin, slamming her head into the soft seat with each word. "YOU. TAKE. THAT. BACK!" Instead, Lana just slapped at Lola's face.

Miranda cleared her throat, getting the children's attention. "Girls? Remember that we're here to talk, not fight. And to be honest, I would like to ask you both questions concerning your brother."

The twins glared at each other for a few seconds before finally separating. They sat even further away from each other now.

"Now Lana, why do you believe that Lincoln adores you more?"

"He doesn't-" Lola started.

"Lola, wait your turn. I'll ask you the same thing." The Hispanic woman said in a stern tone. Lola was about to form another retort, but knew that Miranda wasn't going to back down. So she just sat there, fuming as steam rose from the top of her head.

"I say that Lincoln likes me more because, I've spent a good amount of time with my brother as far as I can remember. He's always been there for me when I needed him, even when he doesn't want to be bothered. He's practically the best brother I could ask for. He helps me take care of my reptiles, doesn't mind getting dirty, and he doesn't mind my gross habits unlike _SOME_ people." Lana glared at Lola, who returned the gesture. "He's also the reason why I'm like myself today."

"Care to give more detail on that?" Miranda asked.

"When Lincoln was my age, he used to like playing in the mud a lot. I thought it looked pretty fun, so I joined in. It was the best thing, that's ever happened to me. And believe it or not, _Lola_ actually liked to get dirty back then."

The younger twin's eyes widened. "What?! I did not!"

Lana nodded. "Yes you did. That was probably the only time we actually got along with each other without fighting. Well, before you started acting like a spoiled snob after getting into that pageant stuff."

Lola gave a huff. "Well, I clearly don't remember any of that stuff."

"Mom still has pictures of it. You just never checked."

"Well from what I remember, he wasn't the reason you started digging in the trash."

Lana shrugged. "True. One man's trash is another lady's treasure. But even so, I don't like peanut butter and sauerkraut sandwiches."

"And yet you'll eat moldy pudding..."

 _"Interesting..."_ Miranda thought. "It seems you and Lincoln have been close for a long time Lana. Now Lola, why do you think Lincoln likes you the most?"

"Because, he actually knows how to be prim and proper unlike _SOME_ people." She glared at Lana. "He participates in my tea parties, helps me prepare for my many pageants since that time one was going to give the winner tickets to Dairy Land, he likes to keep me happy, and he'll always protect me no matter what!"

"He'll do that for _any_ of us Lola..." Lana pointed out.

"Yeah, but what you don't remember was that Lincoln used to have a bit of an attitude when he was younger."

The look on Lana's face said it all. "Wait, so he used to act like _you?_ "

"Well, Lincoln didn't participate in pageants or anything, besides that one time when he was trying to win an award. But when I was two, some big fat kid who was probably three or four stole my giant whirly pop. Since of course I was only a baby, the only thing I could do was cry. Lincoln was over there in a split second and made that boy pay dearly." Lola laughed. "Ah, good memories."

"...I don't think I was there when that happened."

"You weren't. It was at the park and you were back with dad at the house."

"I think it's quite interesting that you both have different memories of your brother." Miranda spoke.

"Yeah. I guess we do." Lana smiled.

"But I still can't believe I used to like being dirty." Lola grimaced.

"Hey it's not that bad."

"Says the girl who took my place in a PRIM AND PERFECT PAGEANT." Lola teased.

Lana blushed. "Hey! That was only for the Dairy Land tickets!...But I guess I did like it a little..."

"So I assume both of you are pretty close to your brother?" Miranda asked. Both twins nodded in response, which the doctor laughed. "I expected no less from a group of kids like you, but it seems to be that Lincoln isn't close to both of you."

"Huh?!" The girls asked in shock.

"Given what you both said, Lincoln doesn't seem like the type to pick favorites. He probably knows that if he did, it would cause you both to argue more. He's there for both of you because he loves you as an older brother and wants to be of help, even if it cuts into his own activities." The twins sat there in silence to process that piece of information. Internally, the doctor hated the fact she now had to address the main topic. "Now, this is hard for me to ask, but what do you both think about the whole incident concerning what's been happening lately?"

Deep frowns formed on the kids' faces seconds after that question was registered in their minds. They should've known such a question would arise, as the sisters that had went before them had been asked the same thing. But, they were so caught up reliving the good memories they had with their brother that it caught them off guard. The twins looked at each other in worry, unsure how to answer. The only thing that came to mind was that this whole situation was a nightmare no child should be exposed to. Lana was on the verge of crying as images of her brother's fearful expression flashed in her mind. With Lola, the guilt was slamming back into her like a run-away cruise ship crashing into port. Glancing at her hands, she could feel the slight cuts on them when her fists impacted her brother's mouth, ruining his smile.

"It's horrible Ms. Lopez...that's...that's all there is to it..." Lola finally spoke up. "...I used to enjoy making Lincoln squirm with the threat of making me mad...but now I wish I never got into pageantry in the first place..."

"But, Lola...that's your thing...I don't think you'd ever give that up..."

"But what you don't know is what it did to me..."

"What do you mean?" Miranda asked.

"...The world of pageantry is a very cruel...the main reason I got into it was because mom thought it was a good idea to enter me in when another lady who also had a girl in that same business thought I looked cute enough for it. At first, I didn't think nothing of it since I thought it was a fun idea. I managed to win enough times that I was able to participate in the Little Miss Prim and Proper Beauty Pageants. And on my first day there...that's when I learned that it wasn't as much of a field of daisies as I thought..."

* * *

On a calm and warm evening, Lola was getting herself ready for her first Little Miss Prim and Proper Beauty Pageant. On the verge of being 5 years old, she was the youngest participant in tonight's festivities, and that made her nervous. She was aware that she'd be going up against girls who had probably been in the game for a few years. Lola herself only started just after she turned 4. The little girl was dressed up in a small pink gown with glitter draped on it for a sparkly effect. Peaking through the curtain, she could see the that the crowd was larger than in most pageants she'd been in.

"Mommy, I-I don't know about this...there's a lot of people out there." Lola stammered.

"Oh sweetie, I know your nervous. But don't worry, we'll be sitting in the front row to support you." Rita spoke in a soft voice. "Plus, I thought you got used to being in front of a lot of people."

Lola's past stage fright actually helped boost her cuteness factor, as most found it adorable when a child gets nervous in front of a large audience. "I-I have, but it's just that there's SO many out there than before. And all of these girls look older than I do...I just don't know if I can do it..."

Rita knelt in front of her daughter. "Lola, the important thing to remember is that you just need to focus on being you. You don't have to be like any of these other girls. As long as you be true to yourself, you can do anything. Also, you look so cuuute!" The mother playfully pinched Lola's cheek, earning a blush from the child.

Lola couldn't help but smile. "Thanks mom." She stood on her toes and hugged her.

"Knock 'em dead sweetheart." Rita hugged her back. With the pageant about to start, Rita left to go take her seat next to her husband. Lola looked down at the tiara she was given to wear with the gown before setting it on her head.

The show began with little delay, each child doing their best to impress both the judges and audience. When it came time for Lola to perform, it was clear that her nervousness was returning, but then remembered her mother's encouragement. After the introductions and opening performances, she managed to win over both parties. Her competitors were both impressed and envious. It had been awhile that they actually had someone who looked like it could give them serious competition, especially for a newcomer. However, one participant in particular was giving a hard glare at Lola as she continued to wave at the audience.

A 5 year old redhead wearing a frilly pink dress with a matching tiara to match was gazing a hole in the back of Lola's head. She had worked on her pageant fame for the last year and was on her way to being the next big Little Miss Prim and Proper. The girl could even blow away the competition since the other girls didn't look as cute as she did. She didn't think much about Lola when she first showed up. But when it became clear that not only was Lola as cute as a kitten, but she also knew how to win over the judges, it became clear that she was a threat that needed to be eliminated. Since Lola was still new, the redhead didn't know much about her besides the fact she had made a name for herself in the pageant business. However, it was also clear Lola was still nervous about being in a big time competition. After realizing this, the 5 year old figured she could play to her insecurities.

Lola came back behind stage after she was given a generous applause. Giving a sigh of relief, "I can't believe I nailed that. Maybe I am ready for this kind of thing."

"You may be right. You sure know how to win people's hearts that's for sure." A childish voice spoke to her right.

Looking over, Lola saw the redhead that had went out before her. "Oh, hi um...Lindsey was it?"

"Yep. The one and only. Nice job out there by the way."

"Thanks." Lola smiled. "So, how long have you been doing this?"

"Since I was 4. I'm 5 now, so that makes a year."

"Really? I'm almost 5!" The blonde said happily.

"Cool. So, you ready for the next phase?" Lindsey asked.

"You mean the talent phase? I got a pretty cool staff routine cooked up."

Lindsey gave a smug grin. "A _staff_ routine? You're gonna have to come up with something better than that."

Lola grew confused. "What do you mean?"

"The judges won't be impressed by a little staff routine. That's for babies. You gotta up your game. Otherwise, you aren't gonna last long in the big leagues."

Lola scratched the back of her head. "But...that staff routine is all I know..."

"Welp, it was nice knowing you Lola." Lindsey patted her on the back before walking away. "Real winners know when to adapt. But, I guess you'll be stuck as a loser."

Lola watched the girl walk off. She knows that Rita told her to just be herself, but she just got advice from someone whose been doing this stuff longer than her. She felt conflicted. Should she try something different, or stay true to herself? She watched the other girls' routines as she had time before she had to do hers. The blonde was impressed by their singing, dancing, musical numbers, and even one girl did a mime act. Looking at her staff, Lola felt what she had was insignificant. Even if she wanted to try something else, it was way to late to change course, especially since she was about to go next.

When her name was called, the Louds cheered for her as she about to do her ever famous staff twirls. However, the parents immediately noticed that something was wrong. Their daughter didn't look like she had confidence in herself to put her heart into it. Unlike previous times, her technique was a bit sloppy and poorly timed. To wrap it up, she accidentally hit herself in the mouth with the thickest part of the stick. Holding her mouth in pain, she gazed at everyone's reactions. It was mostly silent, with a few crickets chirping as if they were laughing at her. Before the judges could even score her, she ran behind the curtain with tears in her eyes. The other girls felt bad for her, but Lindsey quietly held a confident grin as she watched her handy work run to the girl's restroom.

In spite of the abysmal performance of her routine, Lola still won 4th place. Not a bad feat out of 10 other contestants. Lindsey Sweetwater won first place during that pageant. However, Lola felt she didn't have anymore confidence to continue on and was thinking about giving up her pageant career. To make matters worse, when she hit herself in the mouth, it knocked both of her baby incisors loose. She wouldn't come out of the twin's room for a couple days after the pageant despite everyone's attempts to cheer her up. What did get her out of her slump, was the recommendation letter for her to participate in the next pageant. Even then, Lola still lacked confident in herself.

On one sunny Wednesday, her mother took her to the park in an effort to get her daughter to smile again. Instead, Lola continued to mope as she walked around the playground. As she was sulking to herself, she spotted a familiar redhead a short distance away with a few other girls she didn't know. Seeing Lindsay Sweetwater, Lola grimaced and turned away from the jungle gym, wanting to get as far from her as possible. However, she stopped when she heard her name mentioned.

"So you think Lola will shape up to win the next one?"

The redhead scoffed. "That blonde? Please. After the last pageant, she won't stand a chance. After all, only thing I had to do was get her nervous enough to slip up, and if she starts getting confident again, well I'll just give her a grim reminder of what she really is. Besides, it's not like she had any _real_ talent." Lindsey said in a mocking tone, making the other girls laugh.

"Yeah. That staff routine was just traagiiiiic~!" Another girl sang out.

What they didn't know, was that Lola heard every word from her post behind one of the metal supports. The little girl was shocked and horrified by this revelation. She thought Lindsey was a sweet and kind girl who gave her some friendly advice. Seems that she was only looking out for herself. Lola's right eye twitched as she felt overcome by a new emotion that felt so foreign to her. She had experienced irritation before, but this wasn't that. It was pure anger. She wanted to march right over to Lindsey and rip the red hair right off her skull. She wanted to punch her so hard that her face would be permanently disfigured. Lola wanted to do everything under the sun that would result in physical injury to that girl. However, this would only resort in short time pain. Lola smirked as a new thought came to her, one that would make sure that Lindsey knew she crossed the wrong person.

* * *

"Wow...so that's why you hate her." Lana spoke.

"She deliberately tripped me up, and I wanted to make her pay so bad...but I realized if I attacked her physically, it wouldn't get to her the way I wanted it to. So I decided to get to her where it _REALLY_ hurts: her pride. During the next pageant I approached her in mock nervousness, letting her think she had an easy win. But then I told her that I knew about her plan, and threatened to not only tell the judges about it, but also the other competitors too. The look on her face said it all, and she knew that she lost her edge. Not only that, I came in first place."

"And then you kept winning more and more pageants?" Lana asked.

"Exactly."

"Was it easy to maintain a winning streak?" The doctor asked.

"To be honest, no. Some girls would try to blackmail me, or in other cases attempt to bully me physically. But, given how much I fight with my sister, I could handle them. As for the blackmailing, well...let's just say I had to find some dirt to have leverage..." Lola gave a stern frown. "I didn't like the last part though, cause there are some things that are better left unsaid...and as a whole, the blackmailing tactic got very...intoxicating to use..."

Miranda noted this down. "Please explain..."

"...Lana was right when I said I used my siblings as my personal slaves...they were holding a Secret Siblings Club, but wouldn't let me in because I wasn't trustworthy enough...so I...I had put a microphone on my tiara and learned all of their secrets and threatened to tell our parents about the things they were hiding from them...all I wanted to do was fit in, and I went about it the wrong way..."

"But in the end, you gained our trust by taking the blame yourself." Lana smiled. "Though I'll be fair with you sis, you have ego problems..."

"I'm well aware of that..."

The psychologist tilted her glasses. "Ego problems?"

"...I...I have a bad habit of blaming others for stuff even when I'm also at fault...the more I kept winning, the more I became spoiled...I won a decent amount of cash from my pageant wins, as well my princess go-kart, my swim gown, and even some of the cosmetic stuff I have...I knew I had it all, and it's pretty obvious it went to my head...a lot..."

"Wait, I thought mom and dad bought all of that stuff for you." Lana quipped.

"Please Lana. Our parents don't have that kind of budget."

"True."

"Anyway...a lot of times I end up blaming others when I'm also at fault...I try to act innocent as if I did nothing wrong, but I ended up acting like I'm the center of the universe...I blamed Lincoln for a lot of things because he was probably the easiest to blame and I knew he'd just take it...I...I even tried to put blame on him for w-what happened last S-Sunday before Lana s-snapped me out of it." Lola wiped her eyes as her voice was breaking up. "...I used to take pride in seeing myself as a princess, to be able to get what I want without much trouble, acting like I'm rich or something...I-I even used to like getting Lincoln to agree to doing what I want whether he wanted to or I had to strong-arm him...b-but if there's one thing I want now more than ever...I want my brother to be normal again...I'm p-probably the worst sister on the face of the earth..."

The girly twin started to cry. It was one thing to see herself as a monster, but it's hits harder when your sibling sees you as the same thing and wants nothing to do with you. Lola hoped that Lincoln would be willing to forgive her, but given how he'll go into a panic whenever she or her other 8 sisters are around, Lisa would calculate this chance at probably .008%. She tended to use her siblings for a lot of things, though Lincoln seemed to draw her ire more than the other siblings. Maybe it was because he was weak-willed or some other thing she didn't know. But Lola was regretting the times she had been mean to him, especially the time where she organized a prank just because he wanted some peace and quiet. Sure, she could've just told Lincoln it's rude to ignore his sisters, but she felt a prank would be best to teach him a lesson. However, such an elaborate plan backfired all because she left Lisa out of the equation. If anyone were to label herself and Lana as who was good who was bad, Lola assumed people would automatically label her as the bad twin. It wasn't even a guess why Lincoln would probably like Lana more than herself, despite Miranda's own input.

With the tomboyish twin, she watched her sister continue to cry to herself. This whole session enlightened her to the fact she now knew more about her twin that she ever would've thought. She knew that Lola became a brat due to winning so many times, but she hadn't realized it was more or less due to a forced habit she picked up. What she didn't know, was that girls could be that cruel, but then again, that's what happens when a little girl gets spoiled with attention and riches. The tomboy was glad her pageant thing was only a one time deal. Last thing the family needed was _two_ Lolas. Lana also made a mental note to pelt Lindsey Sweetwater with as much mud as possible if she ever saw her again.

Lana crawled over to Lola and embraced her. "Lola, you aren't the worst sister ever...yeah, you may be the brattiest, but not the worst...we all still have good moments, remember?"

"...L-Like what?..."

"Remember the time we covered for Lincoln when he came home after curfew? Or the time we all stopped fighting and did our chores when we thought Lily went missing? Or the time you got Lincoln his victory undies even though he lost?..."

"...I guess t-that's true..."

"And what about the time we got Lisa to enjoy a snow day for once? Or last Christmas when you wanted to make up for every bad thing you did? Would you have done any of them if you didn't really care about us?"

"...No...I guess not..." Lola replied, her tears beginning to cease.

"I know we both fight almost all the time, and while it's usually Linc who steps in to stop us, we eventually learn to call a quits to it. You may make me mad from time to time, but I would never stop loving you...to me, you're the best sister in the world, and nothing is gonna change that."

Lola gave a small smile, hugging her twin. "T-Thanks..."

Miranda gave a small chuckle. "You both are quite literally the textbook definition of sibling relationships. No matter how many times you both get into arguments or physical confrontation, you'll still find a way to love each other. Not only that, it seems you both learned a thing or two from each other, which has brought you closer. Normally, this only occurs between older children and teens, but you girls are definitely smarter than most other children. I noted that Lana said your brother is usually the one who breaks up your disputes, but it seems you two are well on the path to settling matters without needing to resort to blows. Of course, it won't always happen, but it may occur a bit less. However, there is one other question I need to ask you Lola...do you have trouble fitting in at times?"

Lola shifted nervously. "...Sometimes I guess...I'm pretty fearful on the pageant circuit, and some of the girls I compete against go to the same school I do...word travels fast and hardly anyone interacts with me much...even when I try to start a casual conversation they just scream and run..."

"I see...well, in this case, the best thing I would recommend is taking small steps to change your image. Making a new friend can be difficult at times, but nothing breaks the ice better than trying to find a common ground. You can start at school or possibly at another of your pageants."

"...That makes sense I guess. Though it's definitely going to have to be at school because I'm forbidden from doing anything pageant related for a while..."

The doctor gave a shrug. "Anywhere is a start."

"Do...do you think Lincoln will love us again?" Lola asked.

"Anything is possible Lola. Not all fears last forever, but they tend to be difficult to overcome. When I last spoke with him, I sent a small message that would hopefully get him to think things over. Fears tend to make people think irrationally, and as such, they will make decisions based on instinct and not from thinking things through."

"So, I guess that means there's a chance he _might_ return to normal?" Lana asked.

Miranda nodded. "Now, is there anything else you girls wish to discuss?"

The twins shook their heads. "Thanks Ms. Lopez." They ran up and hugged her legs.

"Oh, and just a note for you since I know the last one is Lucy, she can be a real bummer at times because she's always depressed." Lola stated as both twins walked to the door. Lola noticed Lana's hat wasn't on her head and spotted it by the chair. She grabbed it and dusted it off before returning it to her sister.

 _"Hmm...wonder what brought that on..."_ Miranda noted in her head. She's spoken with depressed people before, and it usually revolves around said clients not finding any purpose in life. Usually these people tend to be teenagers or adults, but an 8 year old emo? That's almost unheard of...

 **A/N: Next to Lynn, Lola has often been seen as one of the worst sisters in the cast due to her manipulative nature. It's unclear where she got this from, as most assume she was probably spoiled from her parents. However, with their budget, I doubt she would've gotten all that stuff she has now. As such, I believe stuff like her princess car were prizes she earned from her winnings.**

 **As for the whole idea that pageantry changed her, I discussed this with Mr. TyeDye, so I thank him for helping me come up with this headcanon. Many people tend to become egotistical from receiving a lot of attention, and I believe that Lola wasn't always like this until she ended up getting into serious competition. This also helps bring in the idea of why Lindsey and Lola hate each other. I thought about using another girl, but Lindsey seemed like the perfect candidate. Both girls are pretty good, but Lindsey caused Lola to slip up in her first big pageant because she felt Lola would upstage her. But once Lola figured out what happened and turned the tables, Lindsey has done everything she could to try and reclaim first place, but failed to do so. The end result is the bitter rivalry both share. From that one scene where Lincoln took part in a pageant, I believe Lindsey is that one redhead girl on the right. Looking at her smile...it looks like she's trying harder than the rest of the girls, who look more relaxed.**

 **Now, next chapter will be the last of the girls. Lucy's should be pretty straight forward, as episodes like Spell It Out have shown a good reason for her to be depressed.**


	21. My Inner Demons

**A/N: In this chapter, we will cover the last remaining sister of the Louds who has yet to discuss their problems: Lucy. Many know Lucy as the 8 year old emo with a knack for all things supernatural. Some canon pictures even depict her as being like this since birth. However, I don't believe this since it's factually impossible for a baby to develop things like that at a very young age, even after birth no less. Same for Lynn and Luna when they were depicted as babies. I think those pictures only serve to let the audience know who is who, as babies can often look the same until they develop more. So today, we'll see how Lucy actually became the way she is, as well as what other feelings she has bottled up.**

 **Also, as a note to people who think the sessions have been dragging on for too long, I should remind you that chapters 10-21 take place in the span of two days story-wise. A lot of things can happen in a 48 hour time frame, and it just seems that long since I don't update as frequently as I used to. And to those who think Lincoln's phobia was sidelined, they have forgotten about chapter 14 where Lincoln had yet another nightmare, and 18 which had his phone session. Not only that, since this phobia is toward a living person whom Lincoln has been with his entire life, it's much more complicated than some fear of water or another inanimate object. And in order to help Lincoln, the family has to figure out how to better themselves first.**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

"Hey Lana, you know that thing about how you always dig into the trash?" The little former-princess asked as the twins walked back to their family.

"Oh boy..." The tomboy groaned instinctively. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean that." Lana chuckled nervously as she rubbed her arm. "Force of habit."

"It's fine, but I just want to you know this. Sure, it's a really gross habit, but the real reason I don't want you eating out the trash isn't just for appearances. Do you even know where some of that stuff's been?"

"Well..." Lana scratched her chin. "Not really, besides some of the chewed gum I have stashed. I stole those from under desks or tables."

"That's what I'm saying. You could get really sick from doing that. Maybe not today, but it's bad for your health. I mean, do you know how many icky germs are in a dumpster alone? Not to mention disease carrying filthy rats, bugs, and-" Lola stopped when Lana put a hand to her mouth.

"Ok Ok, I get it. It's bad for me. But how do you know all of this?"

"When you sit next to Lisa in the car and she won't stop talking, it's literally the only thing keeping me sane." The girly twin cringed a bit. "I think she might be the reason why I'm so afraid of germs..."

The tomboy shrugged. "Coming from a brainiac who keeps talking about how we'll die in a car accident, that's no shocker." She put an arm around her twin. "But, if it will cheer you up, I'll start eating out the trash less."

Lola looked at Lana with a weary look. "What? You can't expect me to stop completely." Lana chuckled.

"Guess some things won't change." Lola laughed as well.

"You both seem pretty happy." A new voice cut in. The twins yelped in fear before they looking towards their front. Unsurprisingly, it was their older sister Lucy. She stared at the two with an uninterested gaze.

"Y-You really need to stop doing that Lucy..." Lola stammered.

 _"Well, I would if you guys would be more attentive for once..."_ The emo said inwardly. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. I was on my way to Ms. Lopez's office since I'm the last one she needs to speak with."

"Welp, the door's open for ya." Lana stated before the she and Lola walked back to the lobby. Lucy watched them as they left before heading towards the therapist's office. She stopped outside the door, a tinge of nervousness tingling in her spine. "Sigh...let's get this over with..."

Miranda had just finished realigning the pillows on the couch when she heard her door open. Looking at Lucy, she was rather surprised at the girl's attire. It seems Lola's assumption at Lucy being an emo wasn't just a joke. Black dress, pale skin, with black hair to match. Though, Miranda had a sneaking suspicion that black wasn't Lucy's nature hair color given how the rest of her sisters looked.

"You must be Lucy. I was just about to call for you." The psychologist smiled.

"I know, so I figured I'd spare you the time and energy and just walk in."

Miranda also took note of the girl's lack of emotion in her voice. "So," She sat in her chair. "How are things going for you today..." She gestured the girl to take a seat.

"Sigh, still sitting in ever-lasting despair and anguish. I'm usually used to that kind of thing, but not so much since...a week ago..." Lucy stated before sitting in the lounge seat.

 _"Lucy is definitely much like other emo clients I've had..."_ Miranda stated in her head as she quickly wrote something down. "Now Lucy, given that I've talked with the rest of your family, I'm sure you probably know how these sorts of discussions work?"

Lucy nodded. "You have a rule where we whatever we discuss can be kept between us, but I'm free to make use of our sessions however I want."

Miranda gave a small sigh of relief. "Ok, good. To be honest, it was getting rather repetitive. Usually I don't have to talk to this many clients in a single day."

"I can understand that. I'm not much of a talker myself..." The 8 year old replied, shifted slightly in her seat. "But before we actually start, I want to know something..."

"Si?"

"...Is...Is Lincoln going to be ok?" Lucy asked, faint traces of hope appearing on her face. Miranda gave an uncertain look, which told Lucy what she needed to know. "He's still a long ways off then..."

"Possibly, but at least I gave him some advice that should hopefully get him to question his fears; rather than let them run rampant." Lucy didn't say anything after that, just staring at the doctor. "Right, so Lucy, how has the past week been for you?"

"Dreadful, well more than usual. I used to like the thought of isolation, but now I feel almost completely alone..."

"Do you want to elaborate on that?"

The dark haired child nodded. "Ever since people began to question what happened with Lincoln, only a few of my friends know the truth. But at this point, I can definitely say that I no longer have any friends...they couldn't bear the thought of hanging with someone who would take part in savagely beating their own sibling; not that I blame them...I'm still disgusted with myself to the point I wished that I was invisible, never to be seen again..."

"When you said 'more than usual', is this your usual attitude on a daily basis?"

The little girl gave a small nod. "I usually confide myself to the darkness whenever I can. In my house, I tend to be away from most of my family by hiding in the vents, attic, even the chimney. Just any dark place I could find..."

"Is this due to any medical conditions?"

Lucy shook her head. "No. I just like dark places...it tends to help me concentrate on what kind of poems I want to write. Unfortunately, I usually end up stuck trying to figure out a rhyme for a certain word. I would sometimes ask my other sisters for help, but they aren't interested or can't think of anything. So, that leaves me to ask," The depressed child paused, "M-My brother for help..."

Miranda took a couple notes. "Does Lincoln usually help you when it comes to your literary work?"

"Most of the time...even when he's not in the mood to do much, Lincoln still offers a hand anyways. But that's just how Lincoln is: he's supportive of both myself and the rest of my sisters; it's shameful how we ended up introducing a system that essentially refused his aid..."

Miranda rested her chin on her hands. "Interesting...speaking of your sisters, what kind of relationship would you say you have with them? I've heard from a few of them that you've been depressed for as long as they could remember. However, given my past experience with other clients suffering from depression, they weren't always like this. As such, I just treat it as hearsay until the person they described opens up about it. I want to know how you became...well, you."

Lucy gave a quizzical look before giving a real sigh. "You were right on one thing, I wasn't always like this..." She looked at the ceiling. "Back when I was much younger, like say Lily's age, I was your typical innocent child who was curious about the world around her." The eight year old looks at her reflection in a nearby mirror, then looks at her hand. "Most think this is how I always looked since I was a little girl, but the only truth on that part is my skin."

"So, you were saying you were born with pallor?"

Lucy was about to reply but closed her mouth. Her eyes shifted as she was trying to figure out what that meant. "I know I heard Lisa use that word before..."

The therapist giggled a little. "It means you have an unusual lightness of your skin color than it would appear on most people. In other words, you were just born with pale skin dear. It's actually a common condition that's hereditary."

"Oh...well like I said, only my skin is actually pale since birth. Lisa thought it might have been due to me being born prematurely, but mom said that I was born only two weeks before I was expected. That sounds a bit premature I guess, but she said it was normal for babies to come around that time frame. However..." Lucy shyly played with a few strands of her hair. "My hair is actually the same shade of blonde as Lori's..."

"So when did you start using hair dye?"

"Some time after I starting getting interested in supernatural stuff." Lucy looked back at the psychologist. "It first started when I watched a ghost hunting show called Academy For Really Good Ghost Hunters when I was 3. Lincoln always liked that show and he still watches it today. But, unlike him, I decided to look more and more into the whole supernatural aspect of ghosts; I wanted to see how these unfortunate souls have unfinished business and how I could try and help them...dad always said I looked like his grandmother, which did explain a lot of things..."

"How so?"

"I once found a picture of my great-grandmother Harriet, and I was surprised that what dad said was true; minus the black hair since, at the time, I hadn't used dye yet." Lucy lied back on the couch. "Along with that photo, I also found a few books about occultism, rituals, how to speak to spirits, as well as a book about mystical creatures. After checking out the last book, I learned a lot more about ghosts; but it didn't stop there. I also came to learn about mummies, werewolves, zombies, witches, and even...vampires..." A small blush formed on Lucy's face. "The last one got my attention the most. I learned how these creatures of the night had to live off sucking the blood from their victims, sometimes turning them into vampires like themselves, or even slaves. My interest for vampires grew to the point I wanted to become one myself."

Miranda shifted her legs a bit. "And how did that work?"

"Well, I first had to become one with the darkness, and the first thing I did was start wearing dark-colored clothing. It made me great at blending in with dark areas of the house, but my hair stood out like a sore thumb..." Lucy folded her arms across her chest. "Yellow and black definitely don't mix, unless you're a bee..." The emo gave a small sigh, her traditional frown forming. "Luan would occasionally call me Ms. _Bee_ atris. because of that...so I had to take it up to the next level: dying my hair. I thought about just making it a darker shade of blonde, or brown like some of my sisters; but in the end, I settled for black. I felt it would be the best to not only help me blend in more, but also as a tribute to my great-grandmother, who helped me discover my passion. I never knew it til then, but having my hair like this...just felt right. It never really appealed to me having blonde hair, but I felt I didn't have to worry about that anymore. My parents thought it was cute that I was trying to be like Great-Grandma Harriet, though my dad was a little spooked by it. Then again, he never liked spooky things anyway." A small smile adorned her face, swinging her legs that hung aimlessly over the side. "He would get jumpy at the smallest thing when Halloween came."

"I see. Did you stop there when you finally got the look?"

"No. I wanted to go even further by mimicking the acts of vampires." Lucy gave a small chuckle. "I still remember when I used to say things like, 'I want to suck your blood!'. We all had a good few memories of that. However, when I started watching TV shows about vampires, I found that they seemed to have little emotion to them. That's why, I started practicing showing as little emotion as possible in my voice and face. It was rather difficult, because I kept finding a reason to smile, and I couldn't make my voice sound like it lacked any feeling. So, I decided to try hiding my eyes behind my hair. This method worked as no one could tell what I was thinking with a blank face." Lucy gave a low snort. "But, it did make me bump into the walls quite often since I couldn't see that well."

Miranda held a hand over her mouth to keep herself from laughing.

"And when I was watching one show in particular..." Lucy's blush returned. "...I fell for a certain vampire in a particular series. I started watching Vampires of Melancholia when I was 6, and was hooked into it the on the first episode. Over time, one of the vampires named Edwin...he became everything I wanted to be. His looks, his hair, that uncaring gleam in his eyes, his fangs...I wanted to be his soulmate..." A heavenly tone was laced in her voice.

Miranda gave a small nervous glance at Lucy as she wrote this down. _"Ok...approaching fan girl territory..."_ She sighed inwardly.

"I had to beg my parents to let me buy a bust of him. It was worth every penny for all of the extra chores I had to do." Lucy turned a bit so her legs would now be resting on the chair instead of dangling uselessly. "But, over time I realized I would never become a true vampire. They said you have to be bitten on the neck by a vampire bat to become one, and as far as I know, nothing like that lives in a state that sees snow every winter...however, I wound up having a pet bat of my own after all."

"Did you go out and find one, or did it come to you?"

Lucy gave a small hand wave. "Technically, it was both. During one night, I came out of the bathroom when I heard what sounded like fluttering in the attic. I thought it might have been a bird, since they can sometimes get stuck in there. I wanted to see if I could help it out, and turns out it was a fruit bat that got trapped in some wiring in the ceiling. I grabbed a ladder and freed it, and I was hoping it'd fly away. But instead, it stuck with me like glue. I think this was due to the bat being quite young." The emo scratched her head. "Fangs is a juvenile bat now, so he was probably close to reaching his teen years when I found him." A small smile formed on her face. "I tried to get him to leave since I knew my parents wouldn't let me keep a _bat_ of all things. They were pretty hesitant about letting Lana keep her pet lizard Izzy, more so about her snake; plus I knew dad would freak out...but Fangs didn't want to leave. So, I just decided to let him stay. Surprisingly, and unsurprisingly, my parents freaked out upon seeing him. Well, I expected dad to, but didn't think mom would as well. However, they had let me keep him on the basis that I care for him."

"Seems like a typical parental response to a child bringing home a stray animal."

The supernatural lover nodded in agreement. "Soon after I got Fangs, Lynn started calling me 'The Queen of Darkness'. My heart swelled with pride upon hearing her call me that for the first time. And soon enough, I started getting more into the other stuff about the supernatural, particularly in talking with spirits or practicing spells." Lucy sat up. "Don't tell anyone this...but one time when I was 7, I had been practicing a ritual for speaking to those beyond the grave...and I got a message back..."

Miranda was a bit skeptical about that. "Really? From who?"

"...My great-grandmother...I was so scared that I swore my skin almost looked like it was bleached. I had tried to summon a ghost before, but I had never gotten an answer..." Lucy shivered a little. "I immediately ended the ritual, but I could still hear her voice in my head..."

"Has this kept you awake at night for any length of time?"

Lucy gave a small nod. "It had been for a few weeks...and soon enough I decided to try again, just to make sure I wasn't imagining things. I performed the ritual and...I heard that voice again. I just couldn't believe it; I actually managed to get in contact with a deceased relative!" The Duchess of Darkness cheered for a brief moment, before her frown took form again. "I told the rest of the family about it, but they didn't believe me...you probably don't either, but I'm not going to hold that against you."

Miranda nodded. "It's ok Lucy. Now, given your involvement with the supernatural...do you feel this has somewhat alienated you from your family?"

Lucy hesitated to answer. She would like to believe that it hasn't since the emo still remained close to her immediate relatives, but when it came down to it...this was one of the main reasons she stopped caring about a lot of things. It was small at first, but as the year passed, Lucy had to admit that she had gotten worse. "...Yes..." Her eyes became a tad watery. "It wasn't really the fact that none of my siblings weren't interested in the stuff I like...I'll admit that it did bother me at one point, but only because it was one of those moments where Lincoln had an idea and the rest of us decided to copy it. He wanted to mold Lily into liking the stuff he did, and you can guess what happened there."

The little vampire-fan lied back on the lounger. "What really started to bother me was how much my siblings started to not notice me around the house. For a time, I started practicing popping up out of nowhere like a ghost; it was just me trying to scare my family for fun. It was enjoyable for a while, but in a house as loud as mine...I guess practicing to be quiet will have its downsides..."

"You started to get noticed less and less, even when you weren't trying?" The Latina questioned.

The eight year old gave another nod. "I didn't really mind it at first. I thought they were still getting used to my 'ghost walk' as they call it. However, I soon began to realize they just didn't notice me coming even if I was walking right past them...for example, I would walk into one of their rooms when it's all quiet, and I thought they would've heard my footsteps. But the moment I speak, they still jump in fright. Started during the latter half of my 7th year, continued into my 8th, and it had been going on for so long; that I started to stop caring much about my sibling's opinions. I guess you could say I started entering a 'goth' phase..." Lucy gave a heavy sigh. "I did the best I could to not let my sibling's lack of attention get to me. If they wanted to remain oblivious to the fact I just I'm not trying to purposely scare them, fine...what really broke my heart into little pieces, was when the family was going to go on a road trip for a planned vacation..." Lucy's face grew grim.

Miranda had a feeling what the little girl's tale would encompass. "What happened?"

"This little getaway was different from the first time we tried taking a road trip. Last time, all of us ended up fighting over a car seat and it got the van destroyed. This time though, we all promised to be on our best behavior. Our parents were wary, but trusted us regardless. However, I had taken a nightly stroll with Fangs and had stayed out a little later than I wanted to. As such, I was so tired I didn't hear our alarms going off the next morning." Lucy formed a scowl on her face. "However, what I couldn't believe was that Lynn had forgotten to wake me up...we've slept in the same room ever since the twins were born, and she just leaves like _I wasn't even there..._ " A few tears started to stream from her eyes. "What was even worse, was that mom and dad didn't realize I wasn't in the car until they were _3_ _0 miles_ away from home...I-I could handle my siblings not noticing me, b-but my _parents_?..." Lucy put a hand to her face, trying to shield her face from revealing her pain.

Miranda sat silently as Lucy continued to cry to herself, the child's sobs echoing throughout the room. Just as she figured, Lucy's depression stemmed from abandonment issues. Not an unusual case for depressed children. Older clients tend to suffer from drug-related problems or loss of a loved one. In Lucy's case, she effectively became broken by the very thing she was interested in. She had gotten what she wished for, to become more focused and in tune with the supernatural, but it strained her relationship with her family it seemed.

"At that point...that's when I became almost completely emotionless...I became more moody and depressed despite the countless apologies my parents and siblings gave me, and my voice showed it. It lacked any care or happiness, leaving nothing but despair. All their apologies was remind me of how little they thought of me..." Lucy sniffled. "I felt like...like I was drowning in pain and sorrow, and I had nothing to let it out...I thought I would've snapped at some point. My teachers noticed it and called my parents, but that did little to help. They just thought I was going through a phase and that I would get over it at some point...they didn't realize how much pain I really felt; likely it didn't help because I became so cold to them..." The girl grabbed some tissues from a nearby box to blow her nose.

"I'm...very sorry to hear that Lucy...I know with some parents it can be hard to pick up on certain cues, but-" Miranda started.

"Well, they didn't...I still kept up with the things I normally do, but I kept to myself more and more." Lucy tossed the tissue away, pulling her legs into her chest. "At most times of the day, I would hide away in the vents of the house or the attic, just looking through books. It was one of the few ways that could bring a smile to my face at the time. Then, during one school day, we had a project that required us to write a poem about ourselves. I didn't realize it before...but the words literally flowed out of me and onto the paper as I wrote. I poured every feeling of sadness and anguish into my work, and when I turned it in to the teacher...she was so surprised at how well written and emotional it was, that not only did I get the best grade in the class, it was put on a wall in the school for 'decorated achievements'. At first, I didn't think much of it. I just did what I was told...but if my teacher felt that I had a knack for writing...I decided to give it a try."

Lucy could hear her therapist silently scribbling notes. "So, you write poems on a daily basis these days?" She asked.

"Yes. It's helped me cope with my inner turmoil since...not a day went by that I wasn't seen without my journal. Well...until recently that is..." The emo gave another sniffle.

"...Do you and your siblings get into fights often?" The Hispanic woman asked.

Lucy didn't answer for a few moments. At most, the kids got into a lot of arguments, she could agree with that. Coming to blows though, was a different matter. Usually it's the twins doing it, sometimes it's herself and Lynn. Lori and Leni were no better either, and it was the same story with Luna and Luan. Probably the only ones who didn't fight, or very little, were Lisa and Lily. With Lincoln...it was a matter of perspective. "Just arguments for the most part...actually hitting each other...not too often I guess. However, I will say that one point or another, I have had issues with all of my siblings, at the same time..."

"What occurred during this incident?"

"...My siblings lack of attention finally got my nerves to the point they literally acted like my opinion didn't matter...along with the fact they still didn't notice me when I wasn't trying to hide from them, they also didn't remind me we had two sibling meetings, and worst of all...my poem journal was destroyed no thanks to Lisa..." Lucy folded her arms in disgust. "I was so fed up with it all that I wanted to get back at them...but didn't know how. So when I went into the attic, I stumbled upon a chest full of Great-Grandma Harriet's stuff, and found a spell book. I figured it was the best way to get my revenge, but it seems the spells weren't working at first. So, I decided to make my siblings mute so they would finally listen to me..." The eight year old's eyes filled with guilt. "It worked at first, but then I started to see how my siblings were suffering because of it...however, it turned out they lost their voices from cheering our Pop-Pop on at his shuffleboard game. They had apologized to me for their treatment, and I had apologized for making them do everything I say...it made me feel...warm inside for the first time in what felt like an eternity..."

Miranda noted this. "So, it seems you and your siblings had finally reached an understanding?"

"We did...after all of that, I realized...maybe it was time for me to start thinking more positive. I wasn't in any mood to be my usual self, so I felt I should try to branch out and read something lighter-toned. I read about a series called Princess Pony, and the first time I looked at it in the library...I skimmed through a few books and took a liking to it. But, I didn't want my siblings to know I read stuff like that..."

The psychologist grew confused. "But, why? If you and your brother and sisters have started getting into a better relationship, I wouldn't think they would react negatively towards your choice."

Lucy sunk her head a little. "While I needed a break from the darkness, I knew my siblings would react mockingly towards the fact I like Princess Pony. Even Lola doesn't like it much. At one point, my secret was almost revealed when I accidentally left a book in the toilet at night." Miranda visibly cringed at that. "Yeah, I know. It wasn't the most sanitary place I could store it, but I had little choice since I heard someone coming. It led to a rather interesting day so to speak...of course, the toilet was clogged, and everyone besides me blamed Lincoln for it because he has a bad habit of stuffing things down the pipe. However, he eventually found out it was really me who did it despite finding ways to put blame on the others...I was ready to admit to the girls the truth..." Lucy's heart sank at what she was going to say next. "But in the end...Lincoln took the blame himself after seeing how much the others were mocking the series. He knew he could take it, and I couldn't...sigh, I wish I could figure out a way to make it up to him...especially now..."

Miranda tapped her fingers together. "Lucy...how close are you to your brother?"

"Hmm?"

"Would you agree that you and Lincoln have shared a close bond for all these years? And if so, what do you think is the reasoning for it?"

Lucy stared at the ceiling. "...I've guess you could say I've grown attached to Lincoln since I was a baby. He just seemed...different...like I was. Unlike my other siblings, Lincoln actually has white hair that mom said he gets from our grandfather. We both shared the same room until our family got larger and I had to share it with Lynn. We were essentially playmates, much like he and Lynn were. I actually tried to get him into the kind of supernatural stuff I was into, but sadly, it just wasn't his thing." If I had to say which siblings I have the best relationship with...it'd be Lincoln and Lynn. I just don't interact with my other sisters enough to get to know them on a more personal level."

The emo drummed her fingers on the couch. "My energetic roommate probably already told you about the kind of relationship we have, and she is right on that end...with Lincoln though...I could never ask for a more supportive big brother like him; that's why it pains me greatly knowing the state he's in..." Lucy felt more tears coming, so she grabbed more tissues. "I can't help but wonder, what does he think of me now?...I know he has these constant night terrors about myself and my sisters; no doubt his mind is fabricating us as complete monsters. Dad said he had another one before you talked to him..." The girl shook her head. "It's just..." She paused. "I r-really w-wish I had my journal r-right now..."

As Lucy started going into another crying fit, Miranda took a moment to look back over her notes. Just as she figured, Lucy's issues seemed to be similar to Lisa's. Both girls felt alienated from their family due to pursuing their interests, but in Lucy's case, she also didn't like the fact she had been ignored when she was just going about her usual business. While the latter seems to have been stemmed by her siblings reaching a better understanding, it did give Miranda clear confirmation that Lynn Sr. and Rita have failed to notice their kids having internal problems. Well, to be fair, she had a feeling this was the case after listening to a few of the girls, but with Lucy outright stating that her parents think she's just going through a phase...well it was enough proof that, as a psychologist and for the concern of 10 kids, their parents needed to hear about this.

As far as Lucy was concerned, Miranda now had the whole story of how a young girl went from being happy go-lucky, to being a shell of what she used to be. However, it seemed that Lucy was forming into her own person. She had embraced her dark nature a long time ago and learned to live with her current relationship with her family. Still, it must've been hard for her to recall the memories that made her the way she is. At this point, Lucy was (unsurprisingly) just like the rest of her siblings: wanting to find a way to return their brother to his former self.

"Well, Lucy...I can assure you that I will do whatever I can to help your brother. Like I have told the rest of your sisters, there is a chance Lincoln will get over his fears; I don't believe he's too far down the road where he wouldn't listen to reason. However, it has come to my attention that there has been a serious lack of communication for everyone in the family. In your situation, you finally got tired of your siblings not noticing you enough that you finally did something about it. Now, of course I think it would've been preferable had you all talked your problems out instead of acting on your emotions, but it seems to have worked out just fine. As such, in the future, I highly encourage that instead of bottling up your feelings, just talk to someone about them. I'm here for you, all of you actually."

Lucy nodded, cleaning her eyes. "Thank you Ms. Lopez..."

"Now, is there anything else you wish to discuss? Anything you might have trouble with?"

The emo shook her head, getting out of her seat. "No...but thank you for the talk. I hadn't told anyone else about how I really became, me...but thank you for bringing it to light."

"That's what I'm here for sweetie. Oh, and before you go, are your parents still out there?"

"Mom is. Dad is at the hospital with Lincoln."

"Ok. When you leave, I need to speak with Rita real quick."

Lucy nodded before leaving. Not soon after, larger footsteps indicated the Loud matriarch was approaching. Rita let herself in and closed the door. Unlike last time, she was a little confused as to why Miranda wished to speak with her again.

"Yes Ms. Lopez?" She asked, about to sit down.

"You don't need to sit for this Ms. Loud, this won't take but a moment." Miranda said quickly before flipping through her notes. "So, after speaking with everyone in the family, it's come to my attention that each of your daughters is dealing with problems that they either weren't aware of or refused to talk about. After speaking with Lucy, it's also come to my attention that some issues the girls are be dealing with may be misinterpreted as something else. Now, what I recommend is that everyone sit down together to discuss their issues. I believe it would help give the family some closure as well as making you all aware of each other's current standing. I believe it will be uncomfortable at first, but in the end, it will bring you all closer together. I think it may also help if it's done in an environment everyone is comfortable in."

Rita was surprised to hear that _all_ of her kids were having personal problems. She expected only a few of them, like Luan, Lucy, and possibly Leni, but all 9 daughters? It was bad enough that Lincoln was afraid of most of his sisters, now she had to worry about what kind of problems the rest of her babies were dealing with. She had that gut feeling something was off when each of her girls came back with forlorn looks. Their troubled gazes never left Rita's mind, but she was looking to talk with them about what was causing their pain. The mother bit her knuckles anxiously just thinking about it. "Oh...I hope it's not anything that can't be fixed..."

"If it weren't, then you wouldn't be here." Miranda half-joked. Rita couldn't help but scowl a little. "Sorry. It's a psychology joke."

"Well, thank you letting me know. I'll talk with Lynn about it and we'll handle this in a family meeting. Now..." Rita shifted on the spot. "How much is this going to cost?"

The doctor shook her head. "No charge. I know you and Mr. Loud are stressed enough having your son in the hospital and needing to tend to your daughters. Plus, I know it may add on to whatever your son's hospital bill may be. I don't want you both to be stressed out having to pay for two things at once."

The matriarch blinked twice. "Oh, well, t-thank you!" She smiled.

Miranda walked over to her desk, where she slipped a business card off a stack. Handing it to Rita, "Now remember, my office is always open. If you have any questions or concerns, my number is listed on this card. If you need any help, you're always free to call me. My hours are also listed on the card too. Oh, and Rita?"

"Yes?"

"Please let me know when Lincoln is ready for a visit. While my talk with him earlier might have done some good for him, I still think it'd be better for his sake if we met in person."

Rita read over the card for a second. "Trust me, you will. I think he leaves the hospital in another week."

 **A/N: There's been a lot of debate as whether or not Lucy is actually an emo or a goth. Most can't tell the difference, but there is a fine line between the two. Goth people tend to have a 'don't give a shit' attitude about most things. They'll express their happiness whenever it suits them or if they're in the mood, but they aren't the type to act all depressed and whatnot. Emos on the other hand, often talk about how much life sucks, express their inner pain, longing, almost never smile, etc. Since Lucy tends to do this the most, this would classify her as such.**

 **Now that the family is aware that everyone has some issues in their head, they will come together to work things out. After all, how do they expect to help Lincoln if they can't fix themselves first? And speaking of the white-haired child, once he gets out of the clinic, things are gonna be a little awkward for him.**


	22. A Long Road Ahead

**A/N: Since chapter 10, it's become painfully clear that the entire Loud family has been dealing with issues they were either A: not aware of, or B: known but refused to talk about it. Since said issues are now apparent, they'll have to work things out if they want to become a better family. Said issues like Luan's bullying problem is just the first of many the family would discuss. But, that's not to say we should look into that.**

 **Instead, while the other Louds deal with their own personal problems, they still have to confront the main issue that got them into this position: Lincoln's fear. The boy himself has already established formal communication with his therapist, and while it may have gotten him to question his beliefs; like Miranda said, he still needs a personal face to face in order to firmly deal with the problem. However, such a time won't come for a bit (and by that I mean probably a couple chapters).**

 **Cue long narration!**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

People often say that the road to recovery can be a long and perilous journey, the circumstances of which can vary from something as small as a car accident to dealing with PTSD. It is often stated that physical wounds can heal over time, even if said wound results in the loss of a digit or a limb. This rings true as, while the shock of losing your right hand or left arm can be debilitating, you will eventually learn to cope with this physical limitation and carry on with your life. On the other end of the spectrum, psychological scars...take much longer. You've seen or heard stories about soldiers returning home from Iraq or Afghanistan, having gone through the unimaginable hell that war itself has always been. This can be due to acts such as rolling over an IED, having your friend killed right next to you, doing the unthinkable of having to kill a child soldier, etc. But those are the easiest examples. Even everyday people can suffer from some form of mental scarring, whether it be from home invasion, a serious accident, or in the case of a certain white-haired boy: a heavy dose of blunt trauma from the likes of which he had never experienced until one Sunday afternoon.

The Louds, even Clyde, hope that one day those scars will fade; although the chances of such an event occurring seem unlikely as the days go on. Didn't help that it was very clear that everyone in the family had some personal demons to deal with. But at this point, despite how uncomfortable the Louds were in discussing their inner feelings or reaching the conclusion that something was wrong with them, there was one thing they could all agree on: they were in this together, and would see it through to the end.

After returning home Sunday, Rita informed Lynn Sr. about what Ms. Lopez had told her. Much like the matriarch, the father was in no better spirits upon hearing that all of his children had something going on. The only person spared in this whole debacle was Lily, and it was mostly because of her extremely young age. But, that itself was debatable. A 15 month old infant unable to do anything but watch as her family was falling apart. Despite her age, Lily was a fast learner, hence why she was scornful at her other sisters for the past week and a half. Whenever her sisters would try to hold her, Lily would get fussy and want to be put down; on some nights, she even preferred to sleep in her parents' room than bunk with Lisa. However, this changed following Lincoln's diagnosis. No one was sure what brought up this change. Maybe it was from Lily seeing Lincoln hurt, or it might have been the fact he accidentally tossed her in the air during his first panic attack. Or...she saw how sorrowful her sisters looked when they realized that Lincoln was afraid of them. At that point, Lily knew her sisters regretted their actions and were hating themselves for it. She couldn't form full sentences yet, but if she could...she'd tell them that she didn't hate them...however, maybe there was something she could do for them. After all, Lily was the only sister Lincoln trusted.

As for the parents, they decided to wait until Monday to discuss everyone's therapy sessions, including their own. The girls were given notification prior to that day, causing many to sleep restlessly. Mixed emotions ran through the family that night, a few being nervous with another group wanting to nip their problems in the bud. Lisa and Lucy felt indifferent, but thought it would be nice to reveal their inner problems. Needless the say, Monday afternoon was full of revelation, and heartbreak...

There was no debate about which tale was more depressing or surprising, as everyone was generally shocked at hearing what was discussed during each session. It's quite jaw dropping to hear that your own roommate had a serious problem, but never picked up on it despite sharing the same room for a few years. From Lori's fears and insecurities to Lisa's feelings of isolation, many tears were shed that night by everyone. Perhaps the only person whose feelings weren't too surprising was Luan's, as she had told everyone her problem the day before. It took a few moments after everyone had spoken to digest all of that information. Quite a few sisters came to realization that they had similar problems. Lucy, Lisa, _and_ Lola suffered from isolation as a result of pursuing their interests, Lori and Leni each wished to be viewed differently, Luan and Lynn had to deal with their fair share of bullies from opposite sides, and Luna and Lana couldn't help but feel like they seemed the most 'normal' out of the pack. These two girls didn't seem to have any problems with them, besides the fact they let their anger take over and utterly demolished their brother. However, there was that issue they shared with the other girls when it came to acting as a single group if something caught their ire.

With the parents, 'heartbreak' was too soft of a word for them. The adults felt as if someone took their hearts, smashed them to pieces with a hammer, then used a heavy-hitter post pounder to rub salt on the wound. The fact their kids had this many problems, and they were so blind to not realize it, made them feel they really were failures as parents despite what Miranda told them during their sessions. They could've gotten Lucy some proper help but chalked it up as a phase when it was a much more serious issue, they tried to hide the fact they kept slipping Leni pills when she was in fact quite aware of this, and in the case of Lola, Rita felt she was responsible for why her 6 year old developed such a mean personality. And to top it off, the parents had to admit that they felt closer to a few of their kids than others despite not wanting to pick favorites. Lynn Sr. spent 20 minutes crying non-stop, preaching about how he's been a failure as a father while the rest of the family tried to calm him down. Not that they were in any better shape, as the rest were struggling to not cry themselves. This was why Miranda recommended the family to disclose this in a comfortable environment; it'd be extremely awkward to discuss family matters in a public setting, lest the Louds wanted everyone to look at them strangely.

Their psychologist also didn't say this to the family, as she wanted them to figure it out for themselves, but there was one important lesson that comes with these kinds of moments; when a bridge is broken, you can always rebuild it. It wasn't spoken out loud, but if the Louds were asked the question _"Do you feel closer to each other than ever before?"_ , the answer would be an unanimous 'yes'. After Monday, it was as if life had returned to the once quiet abode. While the girls were still unable to do much due to their restrictions, they spent that time trying to forge sibling bonds that had been strained for quite some time. For Lucy, since it was clear writing was an outlet for her depressed state, Lynn Sr. decided to relent and returned her poem book to her. Last thing he wanted was his daughter to spiral even further, enforced by the fact the patriarch was reminded of the one time he left his little girl home alone. The eight year old wasted no time in tearfully hugging her father before she let the words flow from her mind and onto the pages. The rest of Lucy's stuff was still in storage, but she could live with that. But all was still not well. While Lucy did enjoy talking to Lynn more than she used to, it was evident in her writing that she was constantly drawn to the one family member that wasn't with them...

* * *

"So Lincoln, how does it feel to finally get out of this place?" Clyde asked, packing up some of Lincoln's stuff into a bag.

The white-haired child let out a sigh of relief as he changed into his regular clothes. "Just glad it's finally over...I hated being bed-ridden for almost a week. Even though Dr. Philips finally let me walk around for a while when my pelvis was good enough, I still felt," Lincoln paused, moving his arm sling and tightening it a bit on his leftie to keep it bent before trying to fit said limb through his sleeve, "Trapped...I guess?" Lincoln grunted as he tried to move his arm further, only to end up getting it stuck half-way. "Uh..." He laughed nervously.

"Hang on." Clyde walked and pulled on Lincoln's arm while Lincoln tugged his own shirt.

"Ow, ow, OW!" Lincoln yelled as his arm was finally pulled through. He frowned at his busted wing. "Guess I can't bend it all the way..."

"Don't worry Lincoln. Good news is at least it's the last body part that needs to heal." Clyde swung the bag over his shoulders. "Bad news is...a broken arm like yours can take _months_ to heal...you said your elbow joint was bent the wrong way right?"

Lincoln shuddered a little. "Y-Yeah..."

"...You're still not feeling any pain... down there are you?"

Lincoln shook his head. "N-Not really. I mean, I guess if I hold it for too long I might feel a little pain, but for the most part, I don't have any issues going to the can."

Clyde caught his best friend staring at his damaged limb, appearing to be lost in thought. The nerdy child knew all about Lincoln's mental health, and it no doubt wasn't helping that he would be constantly reminded of it given how the white-headed male received said injury.

The African-American put a hand to Lincoln's shoulder. "Lincoln, I know you're hurting more on the inside, than the outside. And I know you're thinking about...you know who...but this is why you're coming home with me and my dads remember? They can't hurt you as long as you're with us (not that I think they will since they're clearly sorry for the whole ordeal), but if you can help me get over my issue with L-" Clyde stopped himself before he could finish that word. "My crush, then I can help you get over your fear."

Lincoln bit his bottom lip. "T-Thanks Clyde, I appreciate the help but...I just...I just don't know. Even after I spoke with Dr. Lopez on Sunday, I still keep seeing them in my dreams..." He brought a hand to his head. "On some nights, I would just stay wide awake b-because I think they might sneak into the hospital and hurt me during the n-night...also, we tried helping you get over my...older s-sister, but that didn't work..."

"Weren't you taking sleeping pills?" Clyde inquired.

Lincoln shook his head. "I-I did at first, but..." Memories of a certain nightmare came to mind, sending a shiver down his spine.

"Ah Ah, say no more. Like Dr. Lopez says, if you don't want to talk about it, I won't force you. So, "He grabbed another arm sling that was on the bed. "Ready to put your new cast on?"

Lincoln nodded and began to remove his old one. The one he kept while in the hospital was a simple dual strap that went around his arm in two spots. His new one was all black with a single, adjustable strap that came with a full cast that covered his arm completely. It was much more durable in the event he accidentally landed on his bad arm again, and he was supposed to wear it every day until told otherwise.

A knock at the door was heard before Lynn Sr. opened the door. "Ready to go boys?"

"Yep, just finished getting everything settled." Clyde said as Lincoln finished adjusting to his new sling.

Two weeks. It took two long weeks before Lincoln could finally say goodbye to the place. He had to put up with sitting in bed doing nothing, eating stale food (which thankfully ended when his dad started bringing him home-cooked meals), and on some nights, being left alone by himself made him quite antsy. He was too embarrassed to admit it, but Lincoln had wet himself two more times due to his night terrors. He hasn't told anyone about them, but his parents could see the distress on his face. But, Lincoln's stay at the clinic wasn't all bad. On some days, the boy would spend his time walking around the hospital at his doctor's suggestion. It was the best way to help him get some form of exercise and keep his legs active. On some of those walks, he was accompanied by one of his best friends, or even both such as on Wednesday. They stopped by the baby room, awing at the newborns since they couldn't resist their cuteness. Well, Lincoln and Clyde did while Ronnie Anne just stood next to them, though she was secretly cooing as well. Sadly, they ended up waking the babies and caused a massive crying fit, getting them in trouble.

Once Lynn Sr., Lincoln, and Clyde got to the lobby, they were greeted by Howard, Harold, Rita, and baby Lily.

"Ooooh, I'm so happy you're finally getting out of here!" Rita cried as she hugged her son.

"Yeah, better than sitting in the same room all day." Lincoln replied, hugging her back.

"Oh and before I forget," Rita took out a couple of school textbooks. "Since you've missed two weeks of school, we let your teachers know that you were in an...accident. So you only have a week's worth of homework to catch up on."

Lincoln gave an exasperated sigh.

"Don't worry buddy. I still remember everything we went through this week, though you'll have to make-up a couple tests."

"Guess I should've expected that..."

"So you're sure you guys have everything covered?" Lynn asked the McBride fathers.

"Don't worry. We've got the guest room set up perfectly, and since you brought some of Linky's stuff over, he'll feel like he's at home in no time." Harold stated proudly.

"I hope that's the _good_ term for that phrase..." The Loud patriarch stated worryingly.

"Don't worry Lynn. If Lincoln has any nightmares, we have something that could help. It works great with Clyde." Howard quipped.

"He always did fall right back to sleep when we sang him that lullaby." Harold agreed. Lincoln looked at Clyde quizzically, who just gave a nervous smile in response.

"So...h-how long do I have to stay with the McBrides?" The ashen-haired child asked.

"As long as you need to Lincoln. We just can't risk you hurting yourself again...plus, I think just being around the house might cause your, 'problems', to act up." Lynn pointed out.

"B-But...what if someone sneaks into the house and tries to d-drag me back?..." Lincoln asked uneasily.

"Lincoln..." Rita spoke. " _No one_ is going to bring harm to you ever again. We'll make sure of that..."

The serious look on his mother's face was enough to calm his nerves. "O-Ok. Thanks mom." Lincoln hugged her again.

In the hospital's parking lot sat Vanzilla, which had a clear view of the front entrance. Inside the car sat 9 occupants, eyeing the front like hawks. It had been 30 minutes since the Loud parents went inside, and the girls were anxious to see their brother back to his normal self. Well, as normal as he could be. Rita and Lynn Sr. were hesitant to let the rest of their daughters come along, but they promised to stay in the car since the potential of Lincoln even hearing them could send him into a panic.

"What's taking so long? I thought that stupid doctor said Linky was good to walk out!" Lola growled, her patience wearing thin.

Lisa breathed a little hot air on her glasses to clean them. "Relax dear sibling. Even if Lincoln has been officially discharged, on average it takes a patient up to an hour before they are ready to vacate the premises."

"The door's opening!" Leni shouted. "Is that him?!" To her dismay, it was just another family walking out with an elderly relative. "Nevermind..."

"Dudes, just be patient. Lil' bro will come walkin' out of there in no time. Sides'...I don't think we were _too_ rough on him..." Luna suggested.

"Well...I guess it could've been a lot worse. Seen some of the injuries I got from doing sports?" Lynn added.

"True. He wasn't in a full body cast." Lucy piped up.

Lori gave a low sigh. "Yes, but he'll still be missing a canine, molar, and an incisor. I'm surprised none of us didn't knock out his chipped tooth."

Lola sank in her seat upon hearing that. After a few more minutes, the girls' patience was finally awarded. Ducking down in their seats, they peeked up just enough to get a good glance out the window. Lincoln was with their parents and the McBrides, and the boy appeared to be saying goodbye to Lily. The girls were glad it appeared that most of his injuries had finally cleared up, the only 'obvious' one remaining was his arm. Lynn looked at the ground in guilt, knowing her brother would be carrying that injury with him for weeks. They couldn't blame their sister for being so cute, and they were a little envious that Lily was the only sibling allowed to get within spitting distance of Lincoln.

Soon, the families went their separate ways. The McBrides parked further down, taking Lincoln with them. The Loud sisters continued watching them until they were no longer within eyesight, only barely paying attention to their parents returning to the car. Rita strapped Lily into her car seat while Lynn Sr. started the car.

"So..." Lori began. "How is he?"

"Good news is, he's pretty much fine physically. He just needs to wear that cast for another month." Rita replied, finishing strapping the baby in before getting in the front passenger seat.

"Bad news is...he's still getting nightmares..." The father finished. "And I'm not sure about it, but I think him being anywhere near the house might send Lincoln into a frenzy."

"Well, at least now that he's out, he could talk with Dr. Lopez right?" Lana suggested.

"That is true. I'll need to call and schedule an appointment." Rita fished her phone out of her purse. "But, I don't think she can get to him this weekend though...she's booked."

"Mother, did you tell Lincoln that I had taken the liberty of completing his course work in his absence?" The child prodigy asked.

"Nope. According to Ms. Lopez, he was rather 'iffy' when she tried to convince him that his fears were just in his head. I'm not sure what exactly Lincoln thinks about when it comes to you girls, but it seems to be along the lines that he doesn't trust you...even if you tell him you're sorry..." Rita replied.

Luna brought a hand to her face as she gave a low sigh. "Great...so even if we apologize to bro, he'll just think we're lying to him. How are we supposed to help Lincoln get over his fear, when he's hardwired to self-destruct?"

"So he can't see us in person, but can we like, talk to him over the phone?" Leni asked.

Everyone's eyes grew wide at that suggestion. It seemed like a sound idea. Talking to someone over a phone could grant more security than meeting someone face to face. Back when Lynn tried talking to him, he only flipped out due to getting too close to him. But he appeared calm when she was a decent distance away.

"Hmm..." Lynn Sr. rubbed his chin. "That could work, but we aren't sure if it'll help. I think it'd be best to wait until Dr. Lopez gets a good idea on how we can handle this. And speaking of which, since it's the weekend...Lynn, Lucy, Lola, and Lana, what I'm going to say is very important."

All four girls stared at their father intently.

"Since Lincoln will be attending school again, I want you girls to make sure he doesn't see or hear you. We don't want to make him paranoid...well, more so than he might be since you all attend the same school."

"Yes dad." They all agreed.

"Hiding from Lincoln won't be an issue for me." Lucy stated. "You 3 on the other hand..."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Lola said in an irate tone.

"Well, Lola, you can be pretty loud and you always like to make your presence felt. Lynn is in the same boat, and Lana...well she might be fine if Lincoln doesn't go near any trash cans or dumpsters." The 8 year old pointed out.

"That would be difficult since I'm not allowed to be dirty." Lana pointed out.

"Me and quiet don't go in the same sentence." Lynn bemused. "But, I don't want bro to think I'll try breaking his good arm..."

"But what am _I_ supposed to do?" The former princess whined.

Lana gave her twin a small smirk. "Sometimes you gotta step out of your comfort zone sis."

Lola's eyes went wide. She remembered the last time Lana said those exact words to her. "Ooooh no! I'm totally _NOT_ doing what you're suggesting!"

"Just sayin', if you can't hide in a locker or the bathroom, you gotta hide somewhere."

Lola growled in anger before giving a sigh in defeat. "Fine...but only because I love Lincoln..."

* * *

After getting to the house, the Mcbrides were quick to get the white-headed boy settled in. Most of his stuff was there, so it felt a bit like his room at home, albeit much larger and a lot more walking space. Lincoln spent much of his time rummaging through the suitcases to put his undies in the dresser and his clothes in the closet. He even found his red, 1 million thread count victory undies. Lincoln smiled, remembering how he got said underwear. Unfortunately, that felt like one of the only few times his 6 year old sister would feel sorry for him. Giving a saddened look, he placed the undies in a dresser before he heard a purring sound.

Turning to the door, Lincoln locked eyes with Clyde's pet cat, Cleopawtra. The boy grew nervous upon recognizing her. Unlike her little sister, Cleopawtra was known to be very...feisty. She certainly lived up to that accusation the last time Lincoln visited their house. It was definitely not a fun time treating those claw marks, and he hadn't even done anything to set her off. The house cat walked into the bedroom with her tail curled upwards. Lincoln stood completely still, fearing the slightest movement would irritate her. Or, he thought that if he didn't move, she wouldn't see him. However, stuff like that only works in movies.

Fortunately, Lincoln's accusation was wrong. Cleopawtra simply strolled up to him and rubbed her head against his leg. The boy smiled, seeing that she was just trying to be friendly.

"Aw. You're not such a bad kitty huh?" He knelt down, petting her head and back. Cleopawtra meowed in response.

"Hey Lincoln! ARGGH! is about to start!" Clyde called from the hallway. "You coming?"

"Oh heck yeah!" The boy took off after his best friend.

The rest of the day was spent like any other weekend. The boys watched their favorite shows and discussed about some Ace Savvy comics. At one point, Lincoln noticed it was getting late and nearly had the urge to voice that he needed to get home. It was out of habit of course, as he quickly reminded himself that he was staying over. Dinner was also another joyful affair. The 11 year old wasn't sure whose cooking was better. He considered his dad a pro-chef, but Howard sure knew how to cook a mean roast. Plus, it felt nice to eat something other than Succotash every Saturday.

It wouldn't be until after a few hours of gaming (with 20 minute rules in-between) before Lincoln was finally tired enough to go to bed. Clyde bid him goodnight, after making sure that Lincoln would be ok as he slept. In all honesty, Lincoln wasn't too sure himself. It was only on a few scarce nights that he got a decent sleep without some night terror waking him up, and he hoped this would be one of those nights. Slipping into his PJs, Lincoln turned the light off and just lied on the bed. Cleopawtra sat on the window sill, staring out at the dark streets. The chip-toothed male stared at the ceiling for what seemed like hours, even as his vision started to get blurry in his tired eyes. Soon enough, Lincoln was finally in a relaxed state to fall asleep.

For a few hours, Lincoln snored softly, shifting into a more comfortable position. What he didn't notice was that his bed was beginning to rock back and forth steadily. The swaying started to get worse, along with something wet beginning to hit Lincoln's face. At first, it only irritated him a little, so the boy just scratched his face without opening his eyes. He soon opened them fully when something cold drenched him and the bed.

"GAH!" Lincoln shouted at the sudden intrusion to his sleep. Wiping his face, he looked around and found that his bed was out in the middle of the ocean...in a raging storm no less. "W-What?!...How did I g-get out here?!"

"I needed another favor from you." A voice spoke out. Looking around, Lincoln saw a what looked like a research ship close to where he was.

The fear in Lincoln's eyes was clear as day. His pupils shrank to their maximum as his eyes became as big as they could get. "L-Lisa?..."

Said child prodigy was leaning on a railing of the ship. "Yes. I needed you for another test of mine dear sibling. You see, I accidentally turned the rest of our sisters into aquatic life, and while I try to find a way to reverse the effects, I have to keep them fed."

"S-So, can't you feed them fish food from the p-pet store?"

"Negative. Such feeble nutrients wouldn't provide them with enough sustenance, so they require larger prey to feed on. Particularly something..." Lisa's voice grew sinister. "Human-sized."

"W-Wha-?" Lincoln started before something bumped against the bed. Looking over, the boy could see a small, grey dorsal fin poking out of the water.

"Oh, and I should mention: they like it when their prey struggles." Lisa added.

Seconds later, a small shark that looked like Lola jumped out of the water, its teeth bared. Lincoln screamed and ducked, letting the fish pass mere inches from his face. Another shark, this one a bit larger, jumped out the water halfway. It was completely black with red, demonic eyes. If Lincoln had to guess, this was probably Lucy. 'Lucy' thrashed back and forth, biting at Lincoln before sinking her teeth into the bed. The shark slipped and took part of the frame with it.

"YOU TURNED THEM INTO SHARKS?!"

"Eh," Lisa shrugged. "I tried for octopi, but shark DNA was more readily available."

Lincoln held onto one of the bed posts for dear life as the waves were getting rougher. A few more sharks bumped the bed, trying to overturn it. One rammed the headboard, causing him to fall back to the front of the bed. Lincoln managed to catch the footboard before he ended up in the tossing waves. He squinted a little as he saw something coming up. It was another shark, which sent the boy screaming as he bolted in the opposite direction. Said shark looked like Luna, who bit the area where Lincoln's head was clean off.

"Why Lisa?! What did I do to deserve this?!"

"Oh, I think you know the answer to that Lincoln." Lisa said as she twirled a pen in her fingers. "I usually collect people who won't be missed to feed to the girls. You are no exception."

Yet another shark jumped out the water, and actually landed on the bed. This one looked rather similar to Lori, who was snapping its teeth every which way, wiggling around to try and reach her prize. Lincoln grabbed one of the bed pillows and desperately beat 'Lori' with the soft object. It didn't do much but to piss her off. 'Lori' caught the pillow and ripped it to shreds. She was about to bite Lincoln's leg when one of her 'sisters' smashed into the bottom of the bed, causing her to topple back into the sea. Snot and tears were running down Lincoln's face as the onslaught of death continued to peck at him.

"J-Just why?! Why does it have to be me?! What I did was just an accident!"

Lisa scoffed. "Oh please dear boy. There's no such thing as accidents."

"Look Lisa! I'll do whatever you want! I-I don't want to die!" Lincoln begged.

"Anything you say?" The 4 year old looked at her brother. "Then do me a favor, and let go..." She spoke in a dark, uncaring tone.

Immediately following that statement, the bed was hit with enough force to break the frame entirely. Lincoln screamed in terror as he was sent flying, landing into the dark, murky waters seconds later. The boy shot up to the surface as quick as he could, spitting out any water he accidentally breathed in. The 11 year old panted before a large wave crashed down on him, disorienting him as he twirled under the water. Just as Lincoln tried to right himself, he screamed out in pain when something bit into his right arm. A 'Leni' shark had grabbed a hold of him and was trying to wrestle his limb off.

"LET GO OF ME! PLEASE LET GO!" Lincoln yelled in despair.

He was brought back up to the surface before being literally thrown in one direction. When this happen, Lincoln heard the distinct sound of flesh and bone being broken and torn. He tossed around in the air before landing in the water once more. Looking to his right, the boy was horrified to see that his entire right arm was gone, leaving only bits of flesh to dangle. His blood poured into the water, letting the other sharks hone in on his position. Lincoln was completely defenseless for what was to come. His only working arm gone, he couldn't use his left arm since it was still in a cast, and the only thing he could manage to do was focus on trying to keep himself afloat.

"S-Someone...h-help..." Lincoln spoke in a weak tone, the blood loss starting to get to him. He didn't know what would kill him first: drowning, or being ripped to pieces.

It looked to be the latter, as a 'Luan' shark sped at him and bit into his side, forcing Lincoln to cry out in agony. She dragged him under the water, the boy's air bubbles leaving a trail. As the other sharks closed in, Lincoln's view became darker as he started blacking out. Tears streamed from his eyes as the predators dove in for the kill. Just as several rows of teeth were about to devour him, Lincoln felt something hard hit his front.

* * *

Lincoln groaned in pain, opening his eyes steadily. He found himself back in the McBrides' guest room, and on the floor. Cleopawtra looked at him weirdly from on top of the bed, having watched the boy throw a fit in his sleep before slipping off the mattress. Lincoln rolled onto his back, pain shooting through his right arm as it throbbed for a few moments. At least that was confirmation he was still in one piece. Lincoln started to sniffle a bit as he thought about that traumatic experience. He had to admit that was probably his most weird dream so far, but it tied with the last one he had in terms of sheer terror. Tears began to stream down the white-headed child's face before Lincoln curled up on the floor as he started to cry to himself. He just couldn't seem to catch a break at all. All he wanted was a decent night's sleep, and he couldn't even get that before his mind would start playing tricks on him. Cleopawtra jumped down from the bed and rubbed her head against Lincoln's shoulder in an effort to soothe him.

His cries got loud enough to the point it had awoken Clyde and his dads, if they weren't aroused from the sudden impact to the floor. Opening the door, they saw Lincoln curled up on the ground, his bed sheets and pillow randomly strewn about, and the poor boy was letting his troubled soul pour out into the world. Clyde immediately went up to ask his friend if he was alright, but Lincoln wouldn't respond. The next few hours were spent pulling the scared child out of his crying fit...

 **A/N: Lincoln may be out of the clinic, but he's still got major problems ahead of him. When I come up with these nightmares, I had a few ideas tossing around in my head, including some that take after some movies I watched. I thought about doing this one based on that scene from Jurassic World where Zara died due to being eaten by a mosasaur, but instead it turned into this. I've had some more, disturbing nightmares thought up, but I figured it'd be better if Lincoln discussed them in his therapy session with Dr. Lopez. Problem is, can Lincoln last that long before he starts to crack?**


	23. School Daze

**A/N: Welp, Lincoln is finally out of the hospital, his wounds are healing nicely (despite having to wear a cast for an extended period of time). But his problems are far from over. His fears continue to haunt him long after the whole incident, and will likely get worse if action isn't taken soon. What's more, since he is now able to move about on his own, Lincoln will have to once again go back to school. But...that's the least of his worries.**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

The weekend following Lincoln's discharge was anything but relaxing. After Lincoln's cries got the attention of the McBrides, they spent a half hour getting him to calm down. It only stopped when Lincoln felt he couldn't cry anymore, his tear ducts being dried out while his eyes remained red and puffy. The early morning hours were no better. The chip-toothed child remained fidgety and scared shitless, jumping at the smallest noise such as the house settling or a squirrel running on the roof. Clyde managed to soothe him with hyperventilating exercises via paper bag. In order to further calm his nerves, Harold whipped up his infamous McBride hot chocolate. It was well made, with the whip cream even having two Hershey bars, covered in extra chocolate shavings and topped off with a cherry. When Lincoln first grabbed it, his anxiety was clear given how much the coffee mug shook in his grip, threatening to spill the treat. He burned his tongue a little upon the first sip, but the subsequent drinks were enough to make him stop shaking like a leaf.

When it became clear that Lincoln wouldn't go back to sleep any time soon (the mere thought of rest sending chills down his spine), Clyde stayed up with Lincoln all throughout the night to keep him occupied. The boys played games, read Ace Savvy comics, and (with his dad's permission) watched some late night re-runs of ARGGH! Clyde became dreary as the night dragged on, to which Lincoln grew concerned about. However, the African-American just told him not to worry about it. By the time the sun's rays began peeking through the window, Clyde had passed out whilst they were watching TV. Giving a sad gaze to his friend, Lincoln put their shared blanket over him before heading back to the guest room. Seeing the state of the bed, Lincoln spruced it back up before lying down. He could feel the pangs of sleep calling to him, but he just couldn't shut his brain down. He didn't want to think about whatever night terrors were waiting for him should he do so, but he did feel guilty in having Clyde stay up with him all throughout the night. Not that he didn't appreciate the McBride's aid, the boy just didn't want to drag anyone else down with his problems.

Sunday was spent doing a few outside activities. Howard and Harold went out for their weekend walk whilst Clyde and Lincoln tried to spend the day outdoors. Key word, _tried._ The two boys went out for a walk at the park, spotting a couple boys passing around a football. Seeing this sport made Lincoln instantly think of a certain 13 year old brunette. The boy started to panic and hid behind a tree, scanning for his wayward sister. Clyde grew confused at this action before it finally dawned to him why Lincoln was acting so out of place. He quickly assured him that Lynn wasn't anywhere near them, although he wasn't too sure of this himself. The nerdy child also gave Lincoln a paper bag just incase he needed to vent. Clyde then suggested that they hit the arcade at Gus', but then Lincoln remembered that Lori worked there, so that idea was quickly shot down.

Clyde then suggested they try the arcade at the mall. He grew to regret that idea, as minutes into the facility, Lincoln became extremely nervous and fidgety around all of the fashion stores. The African American slapped his forehead at forgetting that Leni and Lola were into fashion, and one store in particular looked like something Lucy would enjoy. Then, you also had the music store and the pet store, something Luna and Lana would love being around. Seeing Lincoln already breathing into his paper bag, Clyde dragged him back home before he got worse. The rest of the weekend was spent indoors, with Lincoln trying to catch up on his homework, before the two got ready for school tomorrow. As the boys went to bed, all they could think about was what would happen tomorrow. If Lincoln was nervous about the mere thought of his sisters being around due to their favored activities, there was no telling how he'd react being in the same building as them.

* * *

Clyde gave a whiff of the air. "Ah. Don't you just love that morning spring air Lincoln?"

"..."

"Lincoln?" Clyde looked toward his friend, who was lagging behind and staring at the lines in the sidewalk. "Lincoln."

The boy shook his head and stared at Clyde. "Huh?"

"You ok?"

"Y-Yeah, I-I'm ok." Lincoln smiled, though Clyde could see right through his façade.

The boy with glasses could see a few bags hanging under Lincoln's eyes. "You didn't sleep last night did you?..."

His smile faded into a small frown. "N-No...I tried to, but it didn't last long...I could try closing my eyes, but I didn't actually fall asleep..." Lincoln covered his mouth as he yawned.

"My dad could've whipped up another hot chocolate for you if you wanted. It always helps me fall asleep."

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm...I just don't wanna go through another dream like that..."

"What happened in it? You never spoke about it since Saturday."

"..." Lincoln hesitated to say anything. He bit his lower lip as tears began to crop up. "...T-They were sharks Clyde...t-they w-were sharks..." He gave a low sniffle, rubbing his nose to prevent any snot from dripping out.

Clyde blinked twice. "...I really don't know what to say about that...but if I know anything about sharks, it couldn't have been good..."

Lincoln gave a low nod. "...I-I fell off the bed right as they were a-about to..." He paused, his lip quivering. "I'm sorry...I can't finish that thought..."

As the school came within visual range, Lincoln's slow pace grinded to a crawl. He knew that, somewhere within that very building, five of his sisters were lurking around. And given that some students were still lingering around the front of the school, they were very likely in the halls right now. Clyde didn't notice Lincoln was far behind until he was halfway towards the front doors. Luckily, the nerdy child spent last night preparing to coerce Lincoln into being inside the school. Just because he feared his sisters didn't mean he should let that interfere with his academic obligations.

"Lincoln, I know you're scared about being inside the school. I know there's like, five of your sisters inside that building." Clyde saw that Lincoln was now shaking in his shoes. "B-But don't worry about it! They're all in different grades and different parts, so there's a low chance we'll ever see them, if at all. Do you trust me on this?"

Lincoln rubbed his cast arm, not taking his eyes off the school. "I...I..."

Clyde put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Do you trust me?..."

Lincoln looked at Clyde directly in his eyes. He shifted his gaze to the ground for a moment before looking back, giving a small nod.

"Now, just follow me. Try not to think about them, let's just focus on getting to class. Plus, you have other friends that are willing to help you, alright?"

Lincoln gave another nod before Clyde led him into the building. Nosebleeder led Lincoln to his locker while keeping an eye out for any of the girls. When he asked if Lincoln needed help carrying his books, the boy refused. Despite being bed-ridden for a little more than a week, this gave the snow-haired child plenty of time to learn how to leverage his carrying capacity with one hand. After a quick stop at Clyde's locker, the two headed to their class.

Around that same time, Ronnie Anne was walking to class with a bored look on her face. Her punishment at home had passed a while ago, and she was free to do as she pleased (so long as she didn't get in trouble). In the words of a certain fat, orange cat: she hated Mondays. Same old students, teachers talking your head off about nothing interesting, same old crappy popular girls gossiping about how pretty they are and their social status on Facebook, same old white haired Lame-O walking around with Lame-O #2-wait...backtrack a minute...

Ronnie Anne stopped her pace to look behind her. She walked past Clyde like she usually did in the morning since their classes were at opposite hallways, usually just barely noticing each other among the sea of people. But today, it was the person next to him that stood out to her. Among the large crowd of students, she managed to pick out the infamous afro-headed boy. She could barely who was next to him among all the heads, but a white tuft of hair managed to stick out high enough to be noticed.

"Lincoln?..." She muttered. It felt strange to see him here now, since last she remembered, he wasn't due for release for at least another week. Then again, it was about a week ago that she had last visited him. Homework and being restricted to doing chores to work off her punishment for breaking her dresser kept her at home. The Hispanic brunette didn't have time to question on whether it really was Lincoln, seeing as the hallways were growing empty and she only had a minute to be at class. Taking a long look at where Clyde and the other boy went, she walked briskly towards...math...

Ms. Johnson was reading over some course material she'd cover with her class today, occasionally glancing up to take count of how many students were in. Looking at her watch, she got up from her desk to be ready to close the door once the bell rang. Right as she got to the door, Clyde and Lincoln had stepped in.

"Hi Ms. Johnson." Both said.

"Hello Clyde and...Lincoln?" Agnes' eyes went wide in surprise. The white-headed boy waved while giving a sheepish smile. "Well, glad to have you back with us Lincoln, in mostly better shape." The redhead replied after taking note of Lincoln's arm cast. "I hope you've gotten caught up with the lessons you've missed. Then again, it's clear you already did with the outstanding homework I received." Agnes chuckled.

Lincoln looked at his teacher in confusion. He had only started catching up yesterday, but somehow she already received his work. It didn't make much sense to him, but Lincoln decided to not question it. Taking his seat, several classmates were already drawn to his arm cast.

"So how'd you end up with that?" Male Jordan asked.

"Did you get it in a car accident?" Was the question from a small, brunette girl.

"Nah, I heard he did something crazy and got it. That must've been wicked." A fat kid stated.

A brown haired African American girl shook her head. "Please, I heard that one of his sisters did it."

"That's dumb. Why would they do that?" Jordan replied.

"I heard it was over an argument or something? Sounds weird." Female Jordan answered.

Lincoln felt a bit uncomfortable from all the questions, particularly at the mention of his sisters breaking his arm. He semi-consciously rubbed his ailing limb.

"Children, if you want to sign Lincoln's cast, you can do it later." Agnes paused as the tardy bell rang. "If you don't mind, we have a few important subjects to go over since some of you didn't do well on your last exam."

A chorus of groans erupted from the class.

* * *

Two hours into the school day and Lincoln felt his mind was becoming dulled out. His elbow was propped up on the desk, head sitting on his hand as Agnes gave the class a history lesson. His eyelids were halfway open, the boy trying his best to keep himself awake. There was a love/hate relationship he had with school right now. Under Clyde's promise, Lincoln hoped school would help distract him from his ever-growing problem. Yet, that also meant dealing with 6 hours of being bored. It also didn't help that, due to his lack of sleep, this lecture was doing a good job at making him want to catch sheep. Lincoln shook his head a few times before to try and shake the Sandman's call. This worked, for only a few minutes at a time. He tried to open his eyelids up more, but they felt like bricks, only serving to make them fall lower and lower. Ms. Johnson's words started to become more muffled and incoherent as the boy's vision became more blurred. Unconsciously, Lincoln's elbow slipped off the desk, making his head fall onto his open textbook. Serving as a makeshift pillow, Lincoln's vision started to darken as sleep began to claim him. Soon, he couldn't hear anything other than the sounds of his own rhythmatic breathing.

After a few minutes of napping, Lincoln suddenly shook himself awake, hoping to not have been caught sleeping. To his surprise, the entire classroom was empty; the door itself being propped open. Not even the teacher was around, which was odd since he would've been awakened if that was the case. Lincoln then heard the sounds of laughter outside. Getting up from his seat, the chip-toothed boy walked over to the window, spotting several people in his class outside for recess. Something felt out of place though. If it was time for recess, why didn't anyone wake him up? Surely Ms. Johnson would've reprimanded him about sleeping in class. Or, maybe Clyde told her that he needed the rest since he hadn't been sleeping well at night.

Lincoln then heard a series of footsteps behind him, followed by the classroom door slamming shut. The boy jumped in fright at the noise, wheeling around to see who entered the room. No one was by the door, the only evidence that it was closed being that the pulley for the blinds was moving left and right. Darting his head around, the boy couldn't see any other person; there was nothing hiding under the desks, and there certainly wasn't anyone sitting around Ms. Johnson's desk. The snow-haired child shook nervously, a cold sweat running down his face. Lincoln bit his lip in an attempt to try and calm himself, but at that moment, all of the blinds in the classroom were closed shut. There was little light that could flow between the crevices, making the rest of the room appear nearly pitch black.

"Wha...what's g-going on?...I-Is anyone in here?" Lincoln asked meekly. He was greeted with a childish hum. It sounded feminine, like a toddler was singing it. The tone sounded like it was specifically calling out to him, taunting the child to make him nice and scared. It echoed throughout the entire room, preventing Lincoln from pinpointing its source. The 11 year old's heart sink into his stomach, making him quake in his shoes.

"Liiincoooln~." A voice rang out from the darkness. "It's time to plaaaaay~." A second voice spoke. The twins...

"This...t-this isn't f-funny guys..." Lincoln spoke out in defense.

"That's because it's supposed to be fun for us, not you~." An older, more mature voice rang out, followed by a very recognizable laugh. Luan...

Five pairs of red eyes glowed dimly in the blackness of the room, making themselves known to the young boy. Lincoln only stare in absolute fear as their gazes stared directly into his soul. His mind was telling his body to run, to get out of there as quick as possible. Yet, it was as if his mind and body were on different wavelengths. His joints were locked up in fear, his body doing nothing but taking uneven, hitched breaths. It also seemed like Lincoln had no control of the moisture inside his body. Sweat started to pool around his feet, tears started to leak from his eyes, and even more embarrassingly, the boy had no control over his bladder. He could feel a damp spot forming around his area, but Lincoln didn't care.

"We're coming for you Lincoln~." Lynn's voice came next.

"You can't escape us~." Lucy's monotonous voice came next, making the boy about ready to crap himself.

"N-no...s-stay away!..." Lincoln cried out feebly, backing up towards the windows. His back hit the blinds, making them clatter at the sudden impact.

"And no one is going to protect you~." All five girls spoke in unison, their hands reaching out towards him.

Lincoln gripped his hair to the point it'd rip if he removed his hand. Turning around, he clawed at the blinds to try and pry them open. Yet, they were snapped shut like a steel trap. He banged on them and yelled out, hoping someone would hear his pleas for help. Sadly, it seemed to be drowned out by the laughter of his sisters. The small trickle of tears became a small stream as he sank to the floor in despair. It was like being trapped in a cage with lions, and he was the deer. One of their hands tugged hard at his shirt. Instinctively, he swat at the hands in a feeble attempt to make them go away. All this did was make it easier to get leverage on the boy. Luan's hand grabbed his swinging arm and stopped it cold, followed by the other sisters grabbing his shirt, head, and legs. They pulled a screaming and crying Lincoln towards them, ready to unleash whatever hell they had in store for him.

The snow-haired boy jolted awake in a cold sweat, sitting upright in his seat in seconds. His textbook was stuck to his face, the pages being damp from his drool. His sudden shout was loud enough to draw the attention of everyone in the class, who looked at him awkwardly. Even Ms. Johnson, who was writing something on the whiteboard, stopped midsentence at the sudden interruption. It was so eerily quiet that the only thing everyone could hear was Lincoln's panicked breathing. Greeting the other students and teacher with his own nervous glance, Lincoln sulked into his desk in shame.

"...Is something wrong Lincoln?" Agnes asked out of concern.

"...C-Can I use the bathroom?..."

Agnes was a bit perplexed by that question. She was originally going to give him a small warning about sleeping in class, but maybe a trip to the bathroom would help keep him awake. "You may."

Lincoln pulled the book off his head and gingerly got up from his seat. He walked over to the wall where two hall passes hung, grabbing one before exiting the room. The 11 year old walked through the halls to the nearest bathroom, keeping a wary eye on his shoulders incase any of his sisters tried to jump him. The boy reached his destination within a minute, quietly slipping inside the restroom. Cautiously, he checked every corner of the bathroom, including every stall. It was only when Lincoln realized that he was alone that he finally allowed himself to relax. While he thankfully hadn't peed himself in his sleep, there was a small damp spot inside his underwear. Giving a small sigh, he strolled to the closest urinal and let it loose. Once he finished, the boy washed his hands clean, then grabbed a handful of water and splashed some on his face. This wiped whatever dead skin remained around his eyes, clearing Lincoln's vision so he could get a good look at himself. What he saw was the reflection of a sad, scared and lonely boy.

His hair was slightly messy, the bags around his eyes were more prominent than ever, his eyes themselves were slightly red (likely from taking that short nap) with the veins themselves throbbing slightly and calling to his attention. He didn't notice it at first, but looking up at his hair, his white turkey feathers were drooping a little.

"Geez..." Lincoln put his hand to his head. "I look like a mess...no wonder everyone looked at me weird..." Turning his head sideways to get a full scope, the boy figured he might as well try to make himself look more presentable. Putting his hand under the running faucet, Lincoln shook the excess water and started fixing his hair, combing and matting the follicles. He even pulled on his hair tuft and rubbed it a bit until it was standing up on its own again. When he was finished, his hair looked like its usual due. Looking at his eyes again, Lincoln grimaced a little at how pathetic they looked.

"Maybe I should've tried to get some sleep at the McBride's this morning..." He squinted them a little. His eyes were slightly irritated at this, but the boy figured a little cleaning would make them better again.

Wetting his hand to wipe his face clean, Lincoln stopped when a sudden humming started to echo around the room. The 11 year old wheeled his head around frantically to find the source of the noise, but couldn't figure it out in his scared state. He pinched his arm to make sure this wasn't another dream, and for better or worse...the pain erupting from his shoulder told him it wasn't. The white-haired child gave a panicked scream before taking shelter in one of the bathroom stalls. His fast breathing made his heart pound in his chest, as if it was about to burst through at any moment. Lincoln reached into his pocket for a paper bag to use, only to find he had none. His eyes searched around the stall frantically for anything he could use to help calm himself before they settled on the toilet paper holder. He ran his fingers through it quickly, only to be discouraged to find it empty. Looking down at his shirt, Lincoln pulled it up to his mouth and started breathing deeply into it. Soon, his breaths became slower and more even, the boy curling up on the seat as he stared fearfully at the stall door.

In the girls bathroom, opposite of the boys, Lola was humming to herself as she washed her hands. Normally, she wouldn't have strayed far from her class to tinkle, but the bathroom closest to her classroom had very dirty toilets, and she'd be damned if she squatted on a pee-riddled seat. The tune she was humming was primarily a means to calm herself. Apparently, since she wasn't going to be in the pageant game for a while, Lindsey had been raking in the competition. The bratty redhead would lord this over Lola at whatever chance she got, making the blonde want to punch her pretty little teeth out. She continued to hum as she was about to leave the restroom, only to stop when she heard a familiar shriek come from the other side of the wall.

"Was that...Lincoln?..." Lola questioned. Stepping out into the hall, she put an ear up to the boys door. With how quiet it was, she picked up the small sobs of her dear brother. The blonde covered her mouth with both hands. No doubt he probably heard her singing, which scared the pants off him. Looking around, Lola made a beeline back to her classroom, catching the attention of a hall monitor.

"Hey! No running in the halls!" A tomboyish voice yelled out. Lola stopped to look at her twin sister. "No running in the halls Lola."

"Lana!" The girly twin said in a hushed tone, glancing back at the restrooms. "Now isn't the time for your hall monitor shtick! _He's_ in there!"

"He?" Lana asked, lifting her shades. Her eyes went wide at who Lola might be talking about. "You mean..."

"Yes! Now get out of here before-" Lola stopped when both girls heard a door being opened. Looking back, they saw the bathroom door was being pulled open from the inside. Screaming internally, both girls scrambled to make themselves scarce. Lana tried the lockers, hoping someone was dumb enough to leave one open. Lola looked around frantically for a hiding place. She tried the janitor's closet, but it was locked. She couldn't hide behind the fountain because her hair would stick out. She could try out the lockers like Lana, but she could already see Lincoln beginning to poke his head out the door. Lola then spotted a tall trash can. Biting her hand, she stole a quick glance at Lana, who found an opened locker and crawled inside.

The former princess looked between the locker and the trash can, stomping in place anxiously. She couldn't run that fast to Lana without getting spotted, and like the fountain, she'd surely be noticed and Lincoln would put the L in Loud. The blonde clenched her hands, seeing as she had no other option. "Dang you Lana!" Lola muttered before running up to the trash can and jumping inside of it.

She landed face first onto some old food that had been tossed in. The girl righted herself inside the can, fighting the urge to gag. She kept her mouth covered with her hands, just incase she let one slip. Being surrounded by discarded gum, papers, even broken tools, it was really draining the young girl's will to not screech out in disgust. Lola held her breath as she heard some hurried footsteps rush past her hiding spot and continue on down the hall. The blonde only dared to peek out once she no longer heard the footsteps. Glancing around, Lola sighed internally seeing that Lincoln was gone. Unfortunately, she leaned too much on the trash can's side, forcing it to tip over.

Lana poked her head out to see what made the noise, noting the lack of Lincoln's presence. Her eyes finally settled on a trash covered Lola, who looked about ready to scream bloody murder. Not wanting her to cause a scene in the hallway, Lana dragged her younger twin to the bathroom. She locked the door shut just in time to witness Lola give a scream so loud that her shades and the bathroom mirror had cracked.

"Geez Lola. Any louder and I think I would've lost my hearing again..." Lana whined as she stuck a finger in her left ear.

"I'm covered in filth! AND THERE'S GUM IN MY BEAUTIFUL HAIR! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Lola yelled out.

"Aw come on, it's not _that_ bad."

"That's because _you_ are always covered in mud!" Lola looked at her broken reflection in the mirror. "I can't walk out there like this. I'm hideous!..." The girly twin's eyes became glassy as tears started to form. "The girls in my class will make fun of me forever..."

"Not if I can help it." Lana protested, reaching around her utility belt. Thankfully Lynn Sr. allowed her to keep her tools. Her hand rested on two circular handles, which she pulled on, revealing a pair of scissors. "Now hold still."

Lola looked at the object in her sister's hands nervously. She gripped her hair protectively, backing away from her sister. "No, Lana, no! Not my hair!"

"Unless you want me to tear that gum off, I'll have to cut it. And I don't want to chase you around with these, cause you know we ain't allowed to run with scissors."

Lola bit her lip in protest, gazing at her reflection again. Giving a heavy sigh, she let go of her hair. "Fine...just be gentle..."

Lana smirked. "Oh, I'll be gentle." This didn't calm Lola's nerves one bit as her twin approached.

* * *

When the lunch periods began to roll around, the hallways once again came alive with activity. Students from different grades came in to get their daily fill of whatever happened to be on the menu, though some smarter ones elected to not eat the cafeteria food due to how stale it tasted. For Lynn Jr., if Ronnie Anne had the same lunch period as her, then it was quite possible this was also Lincoln's lunch period. The brunette didn't have to worry much about trying to avoid Lincoln, as being two grades above gave her a bit of leeway. She would hardly see him during the week, if at all. The only times they would potentially run into each other would be at the start of school, lunch, and when the day was over. Lynn and the rest of her sisters made sure to avoid the first hurdle by arriving to school earlier than usual. For lunch, the 13 year old opted to eat outside. Instead of eating the reheated food of the cafeteria, Lynn was instead eating a sandwich she made that morning.

The jock had to admit, it felt nice eating outside for a change. It was a warm 72 degrees with a slight breeze flowing, the birds were singing, and the tree she sat under provided a decent amount of shade. Lynn took a bite of her meatball sandwich, gazing at the students in the window. She knew that somewhere in that room, Lincoln was probably sitting with his friends. Sadly, Junior couldn't say the same for her. Polly still refused to talk to her, and she likely told a few of her derby teammates about what she had done. Said teammates-now former friends-had said a few, not so pleasant words to her at one point or another. Lynn still catches a few glares from them every now and then. And they weren't the only people she caught the attention of.

Over the past two weeks, Lynn had been approached by some people from the other four sports she had played. She thought they might have caught wind of what she had done to her brother, but instead, the question was always 'will you be coming back any time soon? The season is starting up again.' In response, Lynn always responded with a curt 'no'. She didn't follow up with anymore words after that, as Lynn herself was unsure if she'd ever partake in sports again. Taking another empty bite of her sandwich, her ears perked when the sound of feet stepping on grass reached her ears. Looking to her left, she was surprised to see one of said derby teammates, with her own bagged lunch.

"Didn't think you'd be the type to eat outside."

"What are you doing out here Margo?" Lynn asked.

"I could ask you the same thing." The large nosed female replied, taking a seat next to Lynn.

"I have my own reasons for being out here..."

"It's about your brother ,isn't it?" Margo stated in an obvious tone.

"So Polly did speak."

"She did." Margo opened her bag, revealing a turkey sandwich. "I didn't really believe it at first, but seeing as you didn't try to deny it...well..."

Lynn stared at Margo. "Well what?...Are you gonna chew me out for the fact I beat up my own brother?..."

Margo shook her head. "I think you already did that to yourself...but I really have to ask Lynn, why?..."

Lynn didn't respond for a few moments. "Polly already told you it was due to me not controlling my anger, and she was right..." She looked up at the sky. "Normally I just rough play a lot with Lincoln, but what happened that weekend was all because me and 8 of my sisters were at a stand off at high noon, before we ended up turning our sights on him..." The jock gave a low snort. "It's funny...we tried to keep him out of our arguments, only to end up sweeping him into it anyways. Shows how smart we are..." Lynn then looked over at the window, spotting a certain head full of white hair. "He's gonna be healing from that ordeal for a while..."

"Well, yeah, cause he's got a broken arm. But, why aren't you in there trying to make peace with him?"

"That's the problem Margo..." The jock looked back at the brunette. "I'm not concerned about Lincoln's broken arm. Well, I am, but that's not what I'm concerned about the most. That beating he took...it changed him Margo, in one of the worst ways imaginable."

Margo gave a questionable look. "Like...what? Is he gonna become some cold-hearted bully or vengeful person?"

"No. I don't think Lincoln has a mean bone like that in him...basically, he freaks out whenever me or any of my sisters get near him, or if he even sees us. So for his own safety, I'm just gonna be like Lucy and stick to the shadows...though I wouldn't be surprised if he's cautious about being in school again."

Margo shifted her eyes a bit, not quite understanding this. "Ok, so he's just a little scared. That doesn't mean you gotta be a coward about it..."

Lynn furrowed her brows and stared heatedly at the other girl. "You don't get it Margo...Lincoln is getting _FUCKING_ nightmares about me and my sisters, doing who the hell knows what! Don't you think that if I wanted to make things up with Lincoln, I would've done it already?!" She paused, breathing in deep. "I tried ok?! I fucking tried to tell him how sorry I was a day after this whole shitstorm started! And guess what happened...he popped me in the face with his own food tray when I got too close to him..." The 13 year old breathed a few deep breaths, staring at the ground. "Ronnie Anne may have kicked my ass that day, but it didn't hurt as much as getting smacked by Lincoln. And he didn't hit me out of anger...it was straight up fear..."

Margo stayed silent. Her lips parted as if she was about to say something, but no sound came out. Biting her lower lip, she tried to formulate some kind of response. "...That's also another thing I didn't understand. How did someone like you lose to _Ronnie Anne_? She's just a street punk with an attitude."

"Well...someone needed to throw down on me for breaking my brother's arm..." Lynn looked down at her half-eaten sandwich. "I would've asked Polly to do it, but Ronnie Anne beat her to the punch..." She looked at Margo. "I'm kinda surprised the whole school doesn't know about it yet..."

"Why should they?"

"Dunno. Just seems like something that would sprout on social media. I mean, mine and Ronnie Anne's fight got like 5k views on EyeTube."

"Well, Marcy was thinking about telling others in a tweet, but...I managed to talk her out of it."

Lynn looked at Margo in surprise. "Wha?...why?...I thought you all hated me?"

Margo shook her head. "Hate is a strong word Lynn. I mean, I'm disappointed in you; but to be honest, I didn't see this as something you _wouldn't_ do. To find out that you actually did it...that's why I felt I couldn't speak to you for awhile. It just felt awkward...but seeing that you're still beating yourself up for wailing on your bro means you at least care. I mean, it's not like any of us had a personal beef with you that would make us want to permanently ruin your reputation or anything. I came out to you as a friend, and even though some of the other girls refuse to believe you exist, they don't know you like I do."

Lynn scoffed at that notion. "I wanna call bullshit on that, cause I know some of you weren't exactly fond of my 'rituals'." She quoted with her fingers.

Margo rolled her eyes. "Ok yes, I'm not happy with waiting to go pee or poop until after a game, but you didn't hear me complain too much. And friends can get mad at each other FYI...so, what are you going to do to fix your problem?"

Lynn opened her mouth to form a rebuttal, but closed it as no words came out. She stared at the ground heatedly in thought. It didn't really feel like Margo was a friend considering that she avoided talking to the sports fanatic for almost two weeks. Lynn could've told her to just go away and piss off, to leave her to think about her own pitfalls. But, if Margo came all the way out here now, then she probably did want to form some line of communication, for now at least. "At this point, the only thing I'd want is my old brother back. I can give less of a shit about sports...but for now, I'm benched. And there's not much I can do to help Lincoln other than keeping out of his sight..."

Margo flared her nostrils for a moment. "Well...did you try talking to him by phone? Still out of sight, plus he can control whether he wants to talk or not..."

Lynn chewed on her sandwich again. "That's something we're thinking about..." Her voice came out muffled.

Margo gave a small snort. "Anyone teach you not to talk with your mouth full?"

* * *

Inside the café, Ronnie Anne scanned the tables for any sign of Clyde and Lincoln. In her hands was a tray with pizza, cornbread, and green beans. She made a mental note not to eat the beans, as her stomach didn't quite agree with them last time. The tomboy wasn't sure what they put in that crap, but she wasn't gonna spend 20 minutes on the toilet again. Her head moved left and right slowly, her eyes scanning the individuals on each table like a bird watching prey. As she scanned the tables on the side next to the windows, she finally spotted her targets: an African American with glasses and an afro, a tall-freckled redhead with curly hair, a somewhat short sophisticated farm boy, an even shorter redhead with spikey hair and glasses, and finally...a snow-white headed male with a black arm cast strapped on him. Taking a small breath, the black-haired girl strolled her way over to them.

"So what was it like being in the hospital?" Zach asked.

"Does that cast come in different colors?" Rusty came next.

"Did it stink havin' to be stuck in bed for a while?" Liam butted in.

"Well, at least he had the chance to NOT be at school, am I right?" The tall redhead joked.

"Mmm..." Was Lincoln's reply to their questions. The boy kept absently picking at his food, occasionally taking a bite when his stomach demand that it be filled.

"Ok, so 'play 20 questions' didn't work. Seriously Lincoln, why are you so down in the dumps today? I thought you'd be happy being out the..." Rusty cringed. "Hospital..."

"I'm just tired..." Lincoln stated lowly. It was a liable excuse, seeing as he still carried a few bags under his eyes.

"Well, that's part of it..." Clyde added.

"Yeah. You were pretty jumpy when you came back from the restroom." Liam looked around to make sure no prying ears were eavesdropping. "You didn't happen to see a ghost, did you?"

"OOOH! If there's a ghost, we need to get our ghost hunting gear!" Rusty exclaimed. "We'll be heroes known all throughout the school for ridding it of an evil specter!"

"Aw come on Rusty. You know that ghost that lives in the school is just a myth." Zach replied.

"He's right you know." A feminine voice spoke. The boys turned their heads or swiveled in their seats to see Ronnie Anne. "Make some room."

Liam shrugged before sliding himself and his tray to the left, opening a spot next to Lincoln. She gave Lincoln a couple soft dabs to the back, which surprisingly made him form a small smile for a few seconds. "So, what's going on with you guys?" The Hispanic girl asked, taking a small bite of her pizza.

"Aside from ghosts, we're trying to figure out why Lincoln's feeling blue." The farm boy answered.

"I still think it's just the arm cast." Zach spoke through chewed food.

Rusty furrowed his brow. "Or it might be due to what his no-good sisters did. They are the reason he still has a cast."

Upon hearing the word 'sisters', Lincoln visibly flinched. His grip on the plastic fork tightened a bit, the utensil bending as it scraped the tray at random angles due to Lincoln's shaking hand. The chip-toothed child didn't even realize he was fidgeting until Clyde put a hand on his shoulder.

"And almost every time they're mentioned, he gets antsy." Rusty said.

Clyde gave an annoyed glance at his friend. "I told you mentioning them a lot isn't helping..."

"Sorry..."

Ronnie Anne was confused and a bit unnerved by that display. "Ok...Clyde, what was that about? Lame-O looks like someone is out to get him."

"Why would he think that? Maybe it's just paranoia from not counting sheep." Liam stated.

Clyde looked at Lincoln, who didn't appear to be in any mood to give an answer. His best friend just twiddled with the fork in his hand to keep himself occupied. The nerdy child figured he might as well tell them the truth now since they were all together. Plus, the noise of the lunch room would drown out their conversation. "I don't know how to tell you guys, but here's what's going on. Lincoln is tired from not getting any sleep, that's true, but it's mainly because he's been suffering nightmares."

"...Ok? So what's so hard about that?" Ronnie Anne asked.

"Those nightmares are about his sisters doing..." Clyde bit his lip upon seeing Lincoln flinch again. "I'll just say his nightmares never ended on a happy note...and because of that, Lincoln's developed a retroactive fear for all of them except Lily."

"Umm...whose Lily again?" Zach asked.

"She's the real tiny one in diapers." Liam answered.

The Hispanic girl scoffed. "Oh please. They aren't gonna hurt Lincoln again, not if I have anything to say about it. I did kick Lynn's butt a couple weeks ago."

"That fight was awesome by the way." Rusty added.

Clyde shook his head. "No Ronnie Anne, you don't understand. This isn't like being nervous around bees or snakes. Lincoln's been having these nightmares for weeks, up to the point he's developed a _phobia_ of his siblings. From what his parents told me, he can't even be in the same room as them without freaking out. He's even starting to become afraid of falling asleep, which I noticed in History this morning. He nodded off for a minute, but then was spooked awake a few minutes later. And I don't know what happened with him when he went to use the can."

The rest of the group didn't know what to say about that. Lincoln sulked at the table, his hand gripping his hair. Ronnie Anne gazed at Lincoln before looking back at Clyde. "This better not be a joke Clyde. I'm not in the mood for any pranks..."

The boy grew offended at that remark. "Lincoln's been living at my house since he left the hospital on Saturday, and why would I be joking about something like this? Mr. and Mrs. Loud don't want to risk Lincoln hurting himself if he's in the same house as his...fears...so he really needs some professional help for this!"

"What about that lady you usually talk to? What was her name?...Dr. Lopy or somethin'?" Liam stated.

" _Lopez_ Liam, and she's already aware of this." Clyde glanced at Lincoln. "I still don't know how long it'll be before Lincoln gets the chance to speak with her."

"So, what are we supposed to do now?" Zach asked.

"Well, now...I think we-" Clyde started.

"What we're going to do, is make sure Lincoln doesn't see or even hear about his siblings. So starting now, _no one_ is going to mention them if he's within earshot, and if you see one of them, make sure Lincoln doesn't go in that general direction. And seeing that Lame-O panicked just from going to the bathroom, someone will be next to him at all times so he doesn't become scared." Ronnie Anne ordered.

"Woah, when did you suddenly become Ms. Drill Sergeant?" The little redhead asked.

"I don't see you coming up with any ideas Zach." Ronnie Anne retorted.

"Wait, wouldn't that be kinda hard? I mean, we can't be stuck to him like glue all the time." Rusty stated.

"Don't all of us have a class with him? It shouldn't be that hard to keep an eye on him. Plus, if he's living at your house now as you said, " The tomboy glanced at Clyde. "Then it shouldn't be hard keeping tabs on him. In fact, and I can't believe I'm saying this...I want all of us to exchange phone numbers..."

"Wow Ronnie Anne, that's a little forward but ok." Rusty smirked.

A single glare from the dark-haired female quickly wiped that look off his face. "Make another comment like that, and I'm stuffing your head in the toilet that still has poop in it..."

"Y-Yes ma'am!" Rusty gulped before fishing out his phone.

"...Do you think _they_ are aware of this too?" Liam asked.

"Dunno, but I'm gonna ask one a few questions." Ronnie Anne stood up slightly in her seat, looking around the lunch room.

Clyde noticed this, with memories of that lunch brawl coming to mind immediately. "Ronnie Anne, please don't do something that would get you suspended _again_..."

"I won't Clyde, that's why I'm going to ask _after_ school."

"Who?" Rusty asked.

Zach ate some of his peas before casually glancing out the window. The short redhead took note of a couple students hanging around the school's playground, nothing of interest. However, as his eyes glanced upon a tree not too far from the windows, he spotted a couple girls sitting there; one of which looked quite familiar. "Uh, I think I got an idea of who."

Liam raised an eyebrow at Zach before turning in his seat. Spotting those two girls as well, he gave a small frown. "Hooo boy..."

 **A/N: This chapter kinda served as both filler and getting a look at what Lincoln's interactions in school would be. As you have seen...being in the same building as his sisters is NOT doing any favors for his psyche. But thankfully, like Clyde said, Lincoln has friends he can count on to help him. And for Lynn, it seems not ALL of her friends just up and abandoned her. But what's Ronnie Anne gonna do the next time she sees her? I think we all know that her definition of 'asking' isn't the modest way of doing it.**


	24. The Athlete and The Pain Queen

**A/N: Sorry for the long update. As some of you may have noticed, I had changed the cover to better represent the story. No offense to Lentex, but Ex did a damn good job with this one. Now, to carry on with business, Lincoln's first day at school hasn't gone as well as most would hope. His friends are now aware of his situation, and his sisters are actively seeking to avoid being within his general vicinity. However, it appears Ronnie Anne wants to ask one of them a few 'questions'. I think we all know how that's going to turn out.**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

Ronnie Anne stood several steps away from the front doors of the school, waiting for her target to appear. Her backpack was full and slung over one of her shoulders. Most of the students had already walked home or got on the bus, including Rusty, Liam, and Zach. She was currently texting back and forth with Clyde, who was taking a jittery Lincoln to his house.

 _Ronnie Anne, I know that look you had at lunch earlier can only mean trouble. What are you thinking of?_ \- Clyde

 _When Lynn comes out, I'm gonna interrogate her. -_ RA

 _Ok, but why_ Lynn? _Do you want to get suspended again? Why can't you just ask one of his other sisters?_ \- Clyde

 _Nice to hear that you care. I'm not gonna get suspended for this. I mean, school's over right? Can't punish me if it's not on school grounds._ \- RA

 _That didn't answer my question :/ -_ Clyde

 _Alright alright...Lincoln's twin sisters and Lucy might be too scared to talk, but knowing Lynn, she would be easy to crack._ \- RA

 _And what if she doesn't?_ \- Clyde

 _Well, I tried asking nicely :)_ \- RA

 _Ronnie Anne, I know you beat Lynn last time and almost broke her arm, but I think you should really consider what you're doing. Lynn does a lot of sports and I think she also knows martial arts. -_ Clyde

 _Well, all those sports and training didn't help her now did it? -_ RA

With the 'Lincoln Protection Protocol' (as a certain user dubbed) now underway, the white-haired child's social circle was actively trying to keep Lincoln's stress down. To him, school felt like it was a death trap with the possibility of his sisters waiting for him around every corner. The fact he needed to make due on his academic obligations for four more days gnawed on his psyche even more. After lunch, the boys walked with Lincoln to their next class, screening the halls for any of the Loud sisters and would alert the others if they spotted one, or think they did. It was almost a reminiscent of the POTUS' secret service detail, though Rusty and Zach may have been overexaggerating their approach. They kept going all over the halls from one place to another like they were spies sneaking into a heavily fortified area. If this kept up, the two would land themselves in the Guinness Book of World Records for the amount of times they had been called weirdos in a single day. Ronnie Anne surely would've contributed to that if she didn't have to walk to a different section of the school for her next class. Having been in the company of his friends for the last few hours did put Lincoln at ease, if only a little. Once the final bell had rung, he was ready to jump out of his seat and dash for his locker. After Lincoln and Clyde grabbed whatever books they needed for homework, the duo briskly walked out of the school to minimize the chance of running into the Loud sisters. They even took an alternate route home since their usual trip also led to the Loud house.

The sound of those two heavy doors opening and closing had been going on repetitively for the past five minutes. The Hispanic girl casually looked up and scanned among the crowd, failing to spot any of the Louds. Giving a frustrated sigh, she focused back on her phone.

 _If it makes you feel any better, they might have already left. Not like I had any plans to march over to their house._ \- RA

 _Like a wise man once said, don't go looking for trouble if trouble isn't looking for you. -_ Clyde

 _Who said that? Your therapist?... -_ RA

 _No. First off, my therapist is female. Second, it's an Aesop. -_ Clyde

The buses began to pull away from the lot, tossing up dust and smoke. Ronnie Anne coughed a little before covering her nose and mouth with her shirt, glaring irritably at the transport wagons. The girl laminated on how she should've picked a better waiting spot, eyeing the benches in front of the school. However, she would've been easily spotted and the girls might try to avoid her. After the last bus pulled away, the fading engine noises were replaced by that of birds singing. The only students that remained were those that had carpooled to school, but they too would soon leave another boring school day behind them. Glancing at her phone, it's been almost 15 minutes since school ended, and still no sign of Lynn.

Ronnie Anne gave a frustrated sigh. "Dang it...they probably left in the middle of that crowd..."

The front doors moved again, drawing the 11 year old's attention. They inched out only a little, as if someone was peaking through the crack. "Do you see him out there?" A younger, tomboyish voice asked.

"No. Just a few other students." A monotonous voice replied.

Ronnie Anne recognized Lucy's emotionless and dark tone anywhere. She put her phone away before scooting back several feet to not be noticed once they stepped out. Right after she moved away, Lucy, the twins, Lynn, and Luan stepped out of the building, intent on getting home as quick as possible. Aside from the change in clothing that had been forced upon a few of them, Ronnie Anne also noted that Lola for some reason had her hair shortened quite a lot today. She probably would've mistaken her for Lana had the tomboyish twin not been wearing her signature red cap.

Ronnie Anne furrowed her brows in thought. This would be harder than she anticipated, seeing that Lynn was in a group _and_ she had one of her older sisters with her. However, one key aspect everyone knew about Ronnie Anne was that she was stubborn; when she had a goal set in place, the only person who could stop her was her own mother and probably Bobby. She wasn't about to let this opportunity slip past her, and Ronnie Anne wasn't sure if she'd ever get this chance again. Taking note of their direction, the tomboy took a shortcut to head them off.

Lola studied her hair in the small mirror she carried. "I already said this before, but I'm still surprised someone whose gross and dirty all the time knows how to properly cut hair." After having the nasty gum cut out, Lola expected Lana to do something horrible to her due. Instead, it looked like she had a recent visit to the salon. Cut from it's mid back length, the girly twin's hair rested evenly around her shoulders. No split ends or anything that would demean her appearance.

"Well, when you have someone whose obsessed with being clean and pretty...you learn a few things."

"You know half the class thought I was _you_ for a moment..." Lola grumbled.

"Naw, I saw the way those boys were looking at you. All red in the face and what not. Besides, I'm keeping my pigtails." Lana pushed one of her locks up in a feminine way.

"...I think it'd be scary seeing you act like a proper lady than me acting like a pig." The younger twin stated.

"You know who would be more scary acting like a lady?" Luan asked.

"Who?" Lucy piped up.

"Lynn." The comedian chuckled a little.

Lynn gave a small glare at the 14 year old. "Very funny..." She scoffed, earning a few giggles from the rest.

"It was a good joke." A new, familiar voice cut in. Looking behind them, the Loud siblings saw Ronnie Anne leaning against a telephone pole, fiddling with her phone.

Lynn let out an exasperated groan. Last thing she wanted to do was deal with Lincoln's still peed-off girlfriend. "What do you want Ronnie Anne?..."

"Oh," The Hispanic girl put the phone in her pocket, "Just want to get a few answers from you." She glanced at the other girls. "Alone."

Lynn folded her arms, her gaze hardening at the 5th grader. "Oh really? You hardly say a word to me for over two weeks, tell me to go fuck myself whenever we pass in the hall, and all of a sudden you're asking to _talk_?"

Ronnie Anne pushed herself off the pole, calmly strolling towards Lynn. "I wasn't asking..."

"Well whatever you want to say, you can say it right in front of my sisters, cause I ain't going anywhere..." The jock stated firmly, walking towards her adversary.

"Look girls, let's not start any-"

"Not now Luan." Lynn barked, not even turning to address her sister. The two girls were now a few inches apart, sizing each other up. Lynn found this to be pointless though. While she was only slightly taller than Lincoln, the height difference was more noticeable between herself and Ronnie Anne; the top of her head only came up to the brunette's eye-level. It was a bit comical to see Ronnie Anne trying to make herself appear intimidating, but she was unaware that she was poking a lion this time. Lynn wasn't going to let herself be dragged into another bare-knuckle brawl, and if she needed to, she'd put Ronnie Anne down without a second thought. No one said anything for a moment, only the sounds of the wind whistling past their ears filling the void.

"I heard that Lincoln is completely afraid of you..." Ronnie Anne started.

 _"_ _Figures she'd want to talk about that."_ Lynn gave a low snort. "Yeah? What else is new?..."

"So what did you do to him?..."

"What do you mean 'what did I do to him'? Linc developed that phobia all on his own..."

Ronnie Anne curled her hands into fists. "Yeah right. It's one thing to beat your own brother down, but putting that fear into him, making him think that you'll beat him up again? You guys must've did something to him while he was still in the hospital!"

Lynn gave a low growl through gritted teeth, making Ronnie Anne give a small smirk upon seeing the missing gaps in the jock's mouth. "All we did was visit him _once_! He flipped out on us because he thinks we'd hurt him again! All we want is nothing but to tell him how sorry we are and hope he comes home!"

"It's true. We even made a cake for him on our last visit." Lucy added.

"Well clearly _something_ went wrong." The Hispanic girl moved her hands to her hips. "What did you do? Throw the cake at his face? Try to force feed it to him? I wouldn't be surprised given how you bullied him before..."

"What?..." Lynn's voice was barely a whisper as that sentence was fully registered in her brain. Coming out of the sudden shock, the jock balled her fists as she shook uncontrollably, coming ever closer to crushing the little girl in front of her into the pavement. "You're the one to talk about bullying, seeing as that's _exactly_ what you were doing to Lincoln before I put an end to it!" She spat, sending small trickles of saliva at Ronnie Anne's face.

The 11 year old flinched a little, seeing Lynn almost ready to blow her top. But, she wasn't going to back down. "Yes it was," She wiped her face clean, "But the main difference is that I actually _liked_ Lincoln and took some bad advice! Plus, what I did was just a bunch of _pranks_! What _you_ did was just barbaric! All he wanted to do was help _you_ ," She prodded Lynn's chest with her finger, "And you send him to the hospital over it?! WHO DOES THAT?! How did this all even start in the first place?!"

"...It was over a dress..." Luan stated.

The Hispanic girl's glare disappeared within an instant. Her mouth slung open, thinking she heard Luan wrong. "...A dress?..."

Lynn nodded. "...Lori and Leni had a fight over getting the same dress, so we had to keep them separate until they cooled off. Lincoln...we didn't tell Lincoln about the protocol we were using, and everything fell to pieces because he tried to resolve it, but failed..."

Ronnie Anne held her look of disbelief for a moment, before she erupted into a fit of laughter, much to the confusion of everyone else.

"What's so funny?" Lola asked.

Ronnie Anne held her sides as she continued to laugh. "You guys!" She took a moment to regulate her breathing. "I thought it might have been over something serious, but a _DRESS?!_ No wonder you guys are so stupid!"

All of the Louds glared at Ronnie Anne. "Excuse me?..." Lynn spoke, her tone becoming saturated with venom.

"Let me guess," The 11 year old finally stopped, regaining her cold demeanor. "He thought it was very stupid and tried to solve it immediately, but you morons wanted to uphold whatever dumb system you had in place. And so Linc probably got sick of it and tried harder, but then that failed and he had to go to Clyde's house for a bit."

"Wait, how do you-" Lana started.

"Clyde told me." Ronnie Anne answered. "So he probably came back later and tried to solve it again, but at that point all of you had enough and said 'it's all Lincoln's fault. Let's teach him a lesson so he won't interfere with our petty BS'..." She folded her arms. "Am I right or am I wrong?..."

Lynn stared at the ground in guilt. "No...but-"

"But what?" Ronnie Anne rapped her fingers on her arm. "For all I know you probably threatened him to never tell anyone else or you'll break the rest of his ribs."

The 13 year old felt herself losing it again. "You better shut up Ronnie Anne..." The jock warned, clenching and unclenching her hands. The other sisters were about to step in, but soon decided against it seeing how much Lynn's temper was rising.

"So what else did you threaten him over in the past? A car seat? Taking the last of your food? A trip to the store gone wrong or something else that was petty? You might've even blamed him for losing a game for all I know." Ronnie Anne continued, oblivious to the deteriorating temperament of the 13 year old.

"S-Shut up!..." Lynn yelled, her voice cracking as her face became a faint red. She repeatedly took deep breaths as she tried to keep herself composed, steam visibly blowing out of her nostrils with each exhale. Luan grew worried, dropping her backpack on the ground as she felt her sister was about to go ballistic.

"Heck, that might be why you always pick him as your 'partner' for when you train for sports, given what he's told me some time ago. You know he's weak, so in reality, he's just target practice for you and an easy win. I may have picked on Lincoln in the past, but at least I didn't _physically abuse_ him whenever I had the chance."

Lynn's pupils shrank after that last sentence. Ronnie Anne had no idea how close to home that accusation was. It was the same problem Lynn accused herself of doing before she talked to Dr. Lopez. She didn't pick on Lincoln just because she felt like it; she just wanted to see her brother grow into the strong man she knows he can be. The brunette was still trying to convince herself that this was the case, but the fact Ronnie Anne was trying to denounce this made Lynn's blood boil. Her brain sent ripples of anger throughout her entire body, and directed the nerves of her right arm to prepare for physical contact. It was at that point that Ronnie Anne finally noticed the look of murderous intent that Lynn was giving her. Nervousness took over as the 11 year old realized she probably said too much. Before the Hispanic girl could react, Lynn's fist was already rocketing towards her. Ronnie Anne's vision whited out as the jock's hand collided with her forehead, sending her flying back several feet. The 11 year old landed on her upper back, flipping over until she was lying on her stomach. Her backpack slipped off during the roll, lying just a step away. She didn't even get so much as a whimper out before her vision faded to black.

Lynn breathed heavily, her arm muscles tensed as she held her fist out where it impacted Ronnie Anne. The other girls stood there with their mouths agape, their brains catching up to what happened. They were brought back to reality when Lola finally screamed.

"LYNN! YOU KILLED HER!" The six year old panicked.

Lucy walked over to the sprawled out tomboy, putting 2 fingers against Ronnie Anne's neck. She gave a small sigh of relief when the skin pulsated against her digits. "She's not dead, just knocked out."

"Oh." Lola regained her composure, placing her hands on her hips. "She'll be fine then."

Lynn finally simmered down enough, looking at her hand. The knuckles were a little red from the blunt force applied, along with how uncomfortable it felt to fully close her fingers. Seeing Ronnie Anne on the ground, the sports fanatic finally realized what she did. Gripping strands of her hair in panic, "Ohcrapohcrapohcrap!..." She muttered repeatedly as she sank to her knees.

Luan knelt down next to her, rubbing her back as a means of comfort. "I...I didn't mean to hit her. She just wound me up!..."

"Lynn, she kinda had it coming. Ronnie Anne has a right to be mad, but even I think she was going a little overboard with what she was saying to us."

"We would never threaten Lincoln like that." Lola grabbed their attention. "We already felt bad enough that he was even in the hospital. Why should we make it worse? Oh wait, it got worse when we weren't even around him."

Lynn shifted her attention from the girly twin to Lucy. "H-How bad is it?"

Lucy lifted Ronnie Anne's head. Aside from a few scrapes here and there due to the roll, she didn't look too bad. " It's just a mild concussion. Aside from the bruise that's forming on her forehead, she'll live."

Lana strolled up to get a better look. "Yeah, that's gonna swell pretty hard. So, do we just leave her like this, or..."

"We can't just leave her here! Then she'll think she was right about us!" Lynn protested, standing up. "We gotta take her home."

Luan looked at Lynn questioningly before getting to her feet. "Her home? What would her mother say to us if she saw her like that?"

"Not _her_ house. Ours..." The jock corrected.

"And what happens when she wakes up?" The tomboyish twin pointed out, poking Ronnie Anne with a stick.

"Look, I'll...I'll just deal with her ok? But, don't tell anyone else I knocked her out." Lynn grabbed the unconscious girl and gingerly her placed over her shoulder. She then grabbed the 11 year old's book bag before walking in the direction of her house. The others were unsure about this, but decided to just let Lynn do her thing. After all, from what the girls learned, it was better to fix problems as soon as they start than let them fester into something worse.

* * *

Ronnie Anne's eyes moved around behind her closed lids as she started to get her senses back in order. The first thing she noticed was a cold sensation on her forehead, followed by what sounded like someone talking. Squinting her eyes a little, she opened them slowly, finding herself staring at a ceiling. She moved her head left and right a little, noticing that she was lying on a couch and appeared to be in a living room. At first, she thought she might be at home, but upon looking at the floor, she realized this wasn't her house. Lily was on the floor, playing with one of her baby toys. She also saw that her backpack and shoes were by the front door. That cold feeling made itself noticeable again, making the girl put a hand up to her forehead. First thing she felt was some medical wrapping tape, followed by a thick object that was pressed to her head.

A few questions arose. How did she end up in the Loud house? What happened to her head? How long had she been out? Ronnie Anne sat up, giving a small groan as she felt a headache coming on. She lifted the bandages just enough to where her skin was exposed to the open air. Ronnie Anne poked the sensitive area under the wrapping, immediately wishing she hadn't done so. Waves of pain etched across her head, making the 11 year old hiss noisily. She then heard a mature feminine voice speaking in the room where a large dinner table sat.

Rita walked past the entryway, holding a house phone to her ear. "He's had two Miranda. He had one Saturday night and Clyde believes he had another one after nodding off in class. Are you sure you can't see him sooner?" She paused as the doctor spoke on the other line. "Friday? But I'm not sure if-...alright, not like we have much of a choice. I just hope Lincoln can wait that long...no no it's fine. Thank you." The matriarch ended the call. As she walked back to the kitchen, she gave a side glance at the couch before fully noticing an awake Ronnie Anne. "Oh good, you're awake. Are you ok? Do you remember your name? How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Kinda, Ronalda Anne Santiago, and you're holding up 2 fingers..." Ronnie Anne spoke, rubbing her eyes a little. "How'd I get here Mrs. L?"

"Lynn said you weren't looking where you were going and slammed into a pole. She and a few of the other girls brought you home since they weren't sure if your parents were home."

"Lynn...pole?..." Ronnie Anne questioned, racking her memories of the last few minutes. She remembered practically yelling at Lynn, right up until the jock became livid. After that, all she knew was white and black. With how hard Lynn decked her, she might as well have been that 'pole'. The tomboy was unsure if she should be angry that Lynn knocked her out, or upset that she let it happen. Even more so, she was surprised it was just her forehead that took a beating. No injuries to her nose, eyes, or mouth.

"How long was I out?"

"As I predicted, only 180 minutes. Three hours in simple terms, but nothing unusual for a small concussion." Lisa stated as she came downstairs. "Mind if I get a look at said injury?"

Lisa climbed onto the couch as Ronnie Anne let the 4 year old take the bandages off. Once they were removed, Lisa stared quizzically at the bruise, giving it a few pokes (much to the Hispanic girl's pain). "I'd give it a day or so before this bruise disappears. However, I recommend keeping an ice pack handy for the next few hours, as well as pain medication. I also advise steering away from any land-based telephone lines and traffic lights from now on." Satisfied that Ronnie Anne would be ok, Rita went back to the kitchen.

Once her mother was out of earshot, Lisa continued. " _Telephone poles?_ That would be a likely cover story." She reapplied the wrap to the older girl's head. "So what did you say to Lynn that made her force you out of consciousness? I knew that bruise came from human altercation and not that phony excuse she made up."

"...I think I said something that was a little too personal, and didn't pay attention to how pissed she was getting until it was too late..."Ronnie Anne folded her arms, her face flushed with embarrassment.

Lisa adjusted her glasses a little. "Sounds plausible. Out of all of us, you seem to hold a major grudge against Lynn, which likely was caused by that altercation in your school."

"So? What's it to you?" The 11 year old spoke defensively.

"In words Lori would say: you literally need to not be so hot-headed."

Ronnie Anne was about to form a rebuttal when a new voice cut in. "Back from the dead, huh?" Looking up, all three girls saw Lynn leaning on the stair railing.

Ronnie Anne bit her lip before giving a hard glare at the sports fanatic. Lisa took this as her cue to leave while Lynn took her spot on the couch. "So...how do you feel?" The brunette started.

The dark-haired child directed her gaze at the sofa cushions. "In pain, angry...and a little crappy." She looked back at Lynn. "Thanks for knocking me out by the way..."

Lynn brushed off the sarcasm, holding a look of indifference as she folded her arms. "Hey, it could be worse. I could've aimed for any other place besides that big forehead of yours."

"I'm surprised you didn't try to kill me while I was down..."

"Oh trust me Ronalda. In those few seconds after I punched you, I wanted to jump on you and cave your face in. But I didn't for two reasons:" She lifted a finger. "One, you were already down and I consider that payback for knocking some of my teeth out. Also, it was for nearly breaking my arm." She lifted another digit. "Two, given how close you are to Lincoln..." The 13 year old retracted her fingers, looking at one of the pictures hanging on the wall. "Given how close you are to him, if he saw you in a worse shape than you are now...he might think we did it, and think we're bigger monsters than he already does. I consider it lucky I didn't aim lower, cause I just picked a random spot on your face and swung."

"You mean aside from being the monsters you were _before_ this started?" Ronnie Anne spat.

Lynn bit her lip in frustration. She closed her eyes tight and balled her fist, trying to not let the tomboy's words get under her skin. Last thing she wanted to do was have a repeat of earlier. She took a deep breath through her nostrils and exhaled from her mouth. Once she was back to being calm, Lynn leaned back on the couch. "Look Ronalda, you're right, you probably don't have any reason to believe anything myself or my sisters tell you. In fact, the only sister whose innocent in all of this is right there." She pointed at Lily, who glanced confusingly at the sudden attention. "She's the only sister we have that Lincoln trusts and she is aware of sorry _all_ of us feel."

Ronnie Anne shifted her lip a little, wondering where Lynn was going with this. "Have I been a bully to Lincoln? In some ways, I have. You're right, many times I've dragged him into helping me practice or try to spar, but I don't do it just for the sake of my health." The Hispanic girl gave a look that told Lynn she wasn't convinced. "Ok, I kinda do, but I bring Lincoln into it so I can try to toughen him up." She frowned at the dark-haired girl. "I didn't wail on him just because. I wanted him to fight back. I just want him to show me that he can take care of himself. I've had to chase bullies away from him many times while growing up, including you. But there's going to come a time where I won't be there to protect him. So when someone is getting up in his face, I want him to be ready to lay the smackdown on them."

"That doesn't explain why you always want him to help you with sports." The 11 year old countered.

Lynn got up from the couch and grabbed a book off the mantle. She flipped through the pages, stopping when she found what she was looking for. The jock sat down next to Ronnie Anne, who looked at the book. It was one of the family's photo albums, and on the pages it showed a young Lincoln and Lynn playing together. One depicted them passing a beach ball around, another with the two toddlers sharing an ice cream cone, and another set had them palling around on a park playground. "...Me and Linc used to be very close when we were babies. Over time, we grew apart when I started getting more into sports. I thought Linc would become interested since he was a boy, but it didn't work like I thought it would. So, I kept asking him to help me practice, hoping he would eventually get into the mix and we'd be like we used to years ago. My therapist told me I had to be patient and let him come into his own. I also had to let him come willingly instead of just throwing the whole package at him without his approval..." She closed the book.

"Wait, a _therapist_? Why would someone like you need to see a shrink?"

Lynn gave a soft glare at Ronnie Anne. "What? You don't think the person who broke her bro's arm out of anger doesn't need to find out what's wrong with them?"

Seeing she worded that wrong, the tomboy was quick to form a reply. "N-No, I mean...it's just surprising to hear that."

The sporty-loving sister scanned Ronalda's face for any sign of falsehood. The Santiago girl kept her cool, only giving her nose a small rub. "Well, FYI...aside from Lily, _all_ of us spoke with her. Even my parents..." She tossed the book onto the coffee table. "Turns out all of us had issues we didn't know how to fix or were unaware of until last weekend, and I mean these problems were going on _long_ before this mess started. Lincoln is due to see Dr. Lopez at some point, but I don't know when."

"Friday."

Lynn glanced at Ronalda. "Wha?"

"Lincoln is supposed to see her on Friday. That's what I heard Mrs. Loud say while she was on the phone."

Lynn rest her head back against the sofa. "Well that's good news..." The two didn't say much of anything for a few moments. They watch as Lily stood up to try and open the photo book, growing a little frustrated with how hard it was for her to separate the pages. "It hurts you know..."

Ronnie Anne raised an eyebrow, shifting her attention to the older girl. "What does?"

"Having your own sibling being so afraid of you that you can't even be in the same room as them...that day we had our fight, mom took to the same hospital he was in to get my teeth looked at." The jock stared Ronnie Anne in the eyes. "I had to wait until you were finished before I could go see him." Ronnie Anne opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. She realized that whatever she was going to say might result in a snarky comment, which would piss Lynn off. For once, she decided to hear her out. Seeing that she wasn't going to voice her opinion, Lynn continued. "Once you left, I saw all the damage we had done to him...Linc couldn't even _walk_ at the time because his pelvis still hurt. Aside from Lily, I was the only other sister to see him like that...and it made me want to cry like Leni did." The jock wiped away a small tear forming. "I told Lincoln how sorry I was and that if he hated me, I deserved it. You wanna know what he did next?"

"What?" Ronalda asked. The two heard a small whine and saw Lily imitating what happened that day. She took one of her toys and pretended to look away from it. When she looked back in its general direction, she lightly slapped herself with the toy, giving off crocodile tears. Ronalda just sat there confused whilst Lynn understood what she meant.

Lynn picked up her baby sister, petting her head. The infant responded happily. "Yes Lily, he did."

"Um...what did she say?"

"Lincoln smacked me with his food tray when I was right next to his bed. I was so sad that I ran out of the room in tears..." Lynn stroked Lily's little hairs. "I thought he really did hate me, but now I don't know what's worse: him hating me, or being afraid of me...either way, both sides suck..." She looked back at Ronnie Anne. "Let me ask you something. How would you feel if you did what I did, feel like crap, and had someone berating you for it every day?"

The Hispanic girl looked down in thought. She didn't think she'd ever do anything like that to Lincoln, or even Roberto. Lord knows her mother would tan her hide and send her off to boarding school or some other place that's supposed to re-educate delinquents. Sure, she had hit Lincoln a few times, but it was only in a teasing or friendly way. Ronnie Anne bit her lower lip, shifting her weight a little. Lincoln was in pretty bad shape on her first visit, but if _she_ was the cause of all of that? Not only would her mother end her, she'd unleash the ten-headed beast that was Lincoln's sisters. And given how easily Lynn cleaned her clock, she might as well call the funeral home and have them prep for a child burial.

"...I'd hate myself for the rest of my life, and...and I wouldn't want to be reminded of my mistake when I already have enough on my plate as is."

Lynn nodded. "That's how I felt at the way you were talking earlier. I already have a hard time trying to convince myself I'm not a bully, and you barking at me isn't helping, _especially_ when myself and 4 other sisters have to stay out of Lincoln's sight at school for who knows how long." Lily patted Lynn's arm, wanting to be let down. The 13 year old gently placed her sister on the floor, who walked towards her little shopping cart. "I'll be honest, sometimes I don't know what Lincoln saw in you that allowed him to pick you up as a girlfriend."

Ronnie Anne grew rather irate at that remark. "What do you mean by that?"

"Ronalda, face it. You're brutish, a bit of a punk, have an ego problem, and think she's the toughest person around. Most of the times I see you, you have this weird thing going on like you don't feel at ease or whatever in public. You always gotta act like you're the apex predator or something. Maybe Linc is into domineering girls or whatever, I don't know."

 _"That's only because you don't know me like Lincoln does..."_ Ronnie Anne thought to herself as she propped her arm on the back cushion, resting her head on her hand. "That's quite hypocritical coming from someone who always boasts about how great she is at sports and isn't afraid to punch someone's lights out."

"At least I have the skills to prove it. I'm even a black belt in martial arts."

Ronalda gave a small smirk. "Well, all that meant nothing considering how I kicked your butt in the lunch room."

Lynn gave a smirk of her own. "Hate to burst your bubble Ronalda, but I _let_ you win."

"Pfft. No you didn't."

"Oh really. How else could you take down a star athlete who takes Tae Kwon Do? How else could I have the strength to literally send you off your feet in one punch? I even knew where to hit you and how much force I had to apply to knock you out. Plus, I doubt you could solve this: if there's 50ft between a pitcher mound and the batter and the baseball is going at 90mph, how much force would I need to exert in order to score a homerun?"

Ronalda sat dumbfounded, shoulder slumped as her mind processed what her ears heard. She wasn't even gonna try to figure that one out. But now, it all made sense. She got her ass kicked when Lynn pulled her to the side of the school and held her hostage, and the sports junky literally stopped a fight from even occurring by being the first to send her to the ground. Hell, she barely registered the punch coming before she got slammed by it. The tomboy relished in the spotlight at having beaten Lynn, even further cementing her reputation as the school's resident tough girl. But now, it felt meaningless knowing her adversary had been holding back. Ronnie Anne was prideful of her fighting skills, thinking they were second to none, and it stung her deeply knowing that she didn't hold a candle to the amount of prowess Lynn possessed.

"Why?..." She asked in a low whisper. "You could've easily stomped me back then...but why didn't you?"

"Like I told my therapist, I wanted someone to punish me for what I did to my brother...I mean, I'm already grounded, can't play sports, or even wear my usual jersey; but it didn't feel enough for breaking his arm. Also, dad did say he would belt us if we tried to dodge our grounding, but I'd rather take getting my face smashed into the floor than getting butt welts, so thanks for that." Lynn dabbed Ronnie Anne in the shoulder.

Ronalda winced a little before soothing the stricken body part. "Thanks...I guess?"

Lynn frowned at the girl's uncertain tone. "Hey, you knocked some of my pearly whites loose, and you almost broke my arm. That has to count for something."

"Coming from you..." Ronnie Anne shrugged. "I guess it does." She lifted the ice pack off her head a little, giving an inaudible sigh as the cold spot started to warm. "You should teach me how to punch like that."

Lynn stifled a laugh. "You?"

"Hey, if I gotta protect Lincoln from the likes of you or anyone else, I want every edge I can get. Can't do that if I'm getting slaughtered on the first punch." Ronalda lightly prodded the bruise, giving a small wince. "Yep...still hurts..."

"Look, I'm _never_ going to hurt my brother like that again, and..." Lynn sighed. "And I'm sorry for hitting you, but just don't say stuff like that again, ok? Not only were you insulting me, but you also offended my sisters."

"Noted..." The Hispanic girl nervously shifted her gaze away from Lynn. "S-Sorry for ticking you off..."

"And one last thing. If you want me to train you, then you better bring your A game, cause I won't be holding back."

Ronnie Anne appeared to be a little hesitant to answer. Not wanting her to back down, Lynn pressed a finger against the tomboy's bruise. The 11 year old shrieked out in pain before slapping Lynn's hand away. "Ok ok I will!" She glared, rubbing her forehead to numb the pain. "So...if you know that Lincoln is afraid of you, what are you guys doing about it?"

"So far, we're just keeping out of his sight. Might be kinda hard though, seeing as Lola must've made him scared while she went to the bathroom today."

"That's funny, cause myself and Lincoln's other friends were doing the same thing."

Lynn raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"Making sure he doesn't see or hear you."

"Hmm..." Lynn tapped her chin. "Well, since both of us are doing the same thing, why don't we make this a team effort?"

Ronnie Anne raised her hands up. "Look Loud, you aren't exactly on my list of people I'd like to work with."

"Not that I really care. We're doing this for Lincoln's sake. All you guys need to do is let us know where he is or where he's heading, and we'll just not go in that direction. I don't wanna have any more fights between us..." Lynn raised one of her hands before spitting into it. "For Lincoln?"

Ronalda stared at the outstretched appendage, slightly disgusted by the fact it was covered in Lynn's spit. But, she couldn't deny that the jock raised a fair point. If all of them kept in contact, it would make this week go by a lot easier. The 11 year old spat into her own hand and grasped Lynn's in a firm grip. "For Lincoln."

"Fo wincon!" Lily copied them, spitting into her own hands before touching theirs. Unfortunately, both older girls had to bear witness to the distinct sound of the infant making a mess in her diaper. Ronnie Anne's eyes watered before covering her mouth and nose, trying to fight the urge to puke. Lynn covered her nose, giving a light glare at the baby. "Ugh! Lily!"

The 15 month let out a series of giggles before crawling away to find her mother.

 **A/N: In a way, Ronnie Anne and Lynn have finally made up. Hopefully the newly established line of communication should be enough to prevent any more mishaps occurring at school. Not only that, Lincoln now has a set date for when his session will occur. But, no one ever said this was going to be easy, especially when you have so many factors that could screw it up.**


	25. Bumps In The Road

**A/N: As of the posting of this chapter, it has been one year since this story was first published. I really didn't expect this story to catch on as quick as it did, but I guess I struck when the iron was hot (even though Brawl had premiered about a month earlier). So today, to celebrate Synniversary, I bring to you an extra long chapter (by my standards) that will pave the way for what everyone had been expecting since the end of chapter 21. Thank you guys for your continued support, and this story is still far from over.**

 **It's growing closer to the moment where Ms. Lopez will find out just what is making Lincoln so fearful of his siblings. However, such an event still remains days away. In the mean time, Linc's friends and sisters are secretly conspiring to keep him calm as the week drags on. However, like I said before, not every plan will go smoothly.**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

Shortly after Lily made her way into the dining room, Luan came back downstairs with another ice pack. "Ronnie Anne, it's time to switch your-" The 14 year old paused on the steps, noting the two tomboys busily texting on their phones. "Well, you both sure work fast. Didn't think you'd be exchanging numbers already."

"You could say that." Lynn acknowledged, not taking her focus away from the screen.

"Well you guys are typing like clockwork. Any faster and those phones might- " Luan stopped herself before she could make a pun. Not being able to do anything related to comedy was rather difficult, especially since she wasn't as sorrowful as she used to be for the last few weeks. "Break." The comedian half joked, giving a small frown at how dumb that sounded. She got off the steps and sauntered over to the younger girls, casually tossing the ice pack in her hand. "So, you two planning a date or something?"

Both girls gave a quick glare at the tall brunette. "No, Luan. We're working something out for Linc's sake..." Lynn responded.

Now, Luan's curiosity had peaked. "Like what?" She leaned over Lynn's shoulder. On the sports lover's phone, the contact list was pulled up and had a few new names added on there. Aside from Ronnie Anne's number, Rusty, Clyde, and Liam's numbers were set, and Zach's was just a few strokes away from being complete. "Wait, aren't those all of Lincoln's friends?"

Ronnie Anne nodded. "We figured it'd be best if we try to stay in contact so Lincoln has an easier time not peeing his pants at school. By the way, I still need your number."

Luan brought a hand to her hip. "How is this going to work out? Don't Lincoln's friends _hate_ us?"

The 11 year old gave a small shrug. "Yeah, they do. Heck, even I do, kinda...but it's not gonna matter if a certain someone is all panicky."

"Fair point, but I hope the rest of us get a say in how things go. Sorry if I sound rude, but this is just so sudden." Luan sidestepped to Ronnie Anne and started undoing her bandages.

"Well, if it makes you feel better, we're gonna be doing a group chat about this tonight. You know, just to make sure we're square and all." Lynn stated, pressing a few buttons on her phone. "Alright, I got all of them. I think the only person in your group that's not pissed at us too much is Clyde."

"He has been over to our house many times, so he's used to us." Luan took the partially melted ice pack and put it in position on the Hispanic girl's forehead. "Heh, you know, I'm surprised you haven't gotten brain freeze yet."

"Aren't you banned from making puns?" The sporty sister glanced at the comedian.

Luan nodded. "But, that doesn't mean I can't make a small joke here and there."

"But dad said you can't do _anything_ related to comedy. What if he thinks that you were trying to make a pun?..."

"..." Luan felt a pool of nervousness swelling in her stomach as she tightened Ronnie Anne's bandages. Lynn Sr.'s terms were quite clear when it came to their punishments, and she definitely didn't want to live with the stinging pain of butt welts. Then again, he took away Lucy's poem book, only to return it to her after finding out that writing was an outlet for the emo's depression. She doubted she could use that as an excuse, and if she did, she'd be in more trouble than she already was. The 14 year old was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she didn't notice the amount of force she was applying to Ronnie Anne's injury.

"Too tight...too tight, too tight!" Ronnie Anne cried out, swatting the teen's hands away. "Geez, are you trying to cut the blood flow to my head?"

Luan shook her head before glancing at the tomboy, who was fidgeting with the strap. "O-Oh, sorry. Let me-"

Ronalda put a hand up. "Don't. I got it." She undid the strap, releasing some of the pressure from her head before tying it back up.

Luan gave a dejected frown before heading back up the stairs.

Lynn watched Luan ascend the stairs out of the corner of her eye. "What a fun night this'll be." She turned back to the Hispanic girl. "You got everyone?"

Ronnie Anne picked up her phone, glossing over the contact list. "Yeah."

"Good," Lynn got up from her seat. "Now go home before your mom starts worrying or something." The jock began to ascend the stairs.

Ronnie Anne folded her arms. "And how am I supposed to explain _this_?" She pointed at her forehead. "My mom is a nurse for crying out loud!"

* * *

"Are you sure you ran into a light post sweetie?" Ms. Santiago questioned, slightly turning her daughter's head as she inspected the wound.

"Y-Yeah. I uh...was going too fast on my skateboard and didn't see where I was going." The 11 year old smiled sheepishly.

"Uh huh...I'm a tad surprised you don't have any bruises on the rest of your face or anything." Maria stared her daughter in the eyes. Ronalda felt like her mom was looking directly at her soul. "You didn't get into another fight, did you?..."

Ronnie Anne pursed her lips, a bead of sweat sliding down her forehead. "Uh..."

"Ronalda..."

"Look mom, it was just a skating accident ok? I just..." She rubbed her arm. "I don't want anyone else to know about it. Everyone's gonna laugh at me if they find out I had a stupid accident like this."

Maria studied the girl's face for any signs of misdirection; the 11 year old doing her best to keep up her poker face to hide the truth. After a few tense seconds, Maria gave a small chortle. It was quite humorous and hypocritical how Ronnie Anne claimed to not care about her appearance, but was self-conscious at how people viewed her. "Honey, you shouldn't care if people laugh at you. Besides, it's not like they can be better at doing what you do. All that matters, is that you be yourself. Now, keep that ice pack on for another day, but next time...please be more aware of your surroundings. Last thing I want is mi bebe especial to be bed-ridden." The mother said in a cooing tone while gently pinching her daughter's cheek.

Ronnie Anne growled as her cheeks reddened. "Mooom!"

Maria giggled at her childish antics before standing up. "Now get ready for bed dear."

Ronalda rolled her eyes before stomping off to her room. She closed the door, letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding in. "At least that worked..." The girl muttered. She had hoped Bobby would've been home, as he'd be easier to trick. Sadly, he was out delivering pizzas again. The 11 year old almost flew into a panic when she saw her mom was home and not working a late shift this evening. Being that Maria was a nurse, the older woman had experience in dealing with injuries on both ends of the severity chart. She was certain the light post idea wouldn't work, as her mother could tell the difference between a bruise caused by an inanimate object and that from another human being. However...perhaps Ronnie Anne gave her mother _too_ much credit. That, or the bruise had eased up enough to make it look like an accident.

Glancing at her clock, it was almost time to start the group chat. Ronnie Anne slipped off her hoodie, revealing a plain white tank top and flopped onto the bed. Rubbing her feet against each other, she kicked off her shoes as she fished her phone out of her pocket. Scrolling through the contact list, she started adding in the names of Lincoln's friends and sisters; she made special care to not accidentally add the white-headed boy to the list. The Hispanic girl debated on whether or not she should do a voice chat. Texting wasn't really her thing, and it was annoying how the touch keyboard was rather fickle along with the auto-correct being a pain in the ass. However, Ronalda shot that idea down as Lincoln might overhear Clyde talking. Once everyone was added, she started typing.

 _Anyone still awake? -_ R.A.

 _I'm still alive. -_ Liam

 _Wazzup dudes?! -_ Rusty

 _Well, I was about to sleep. What's up?_ \- Zach

 _...The sky._ \- Luan

 _Wait...whose Luan? -_ Liam

 _Isn't she the funny one? -_ Rusty

 _She is. Not that she's allowed to make any jokes right now. -_ Lucy

 _LUCY?! How did you all get these numbers?!_ \- Rusty

And the crying already started. "Perfect..." Ronnie Anne groaned. Her phone gave small ticks with each key stroke.

 _I gave them your numbers. And are you done crying?..._ \- R.A.

 _Um, no?! I thought the whole reason for us doing this Protocol was so we_ wouldn't _have to talk to them!_ \- Rusty

 _He's got a point. -_ Zach

 _Well, your so-called 'protocol' almost let our brother spot us earlier!_ \- Lola

 _That was_ BEFORE _we made this up. Can't exactly pin that on us. -_ Liam

 _Look, we didn't start this to argue. We just want to talk. -_ Lynn

 _About what? How you crushed your brother into paste? -_ Zach

 _Yeah. Why should we talk to a bunch of brother-haters? -_ Rusty

 _Watch your tone_ Rusty. _You don't want something bad to happen to you tomorrow :/ ... -_ Lola. The princess was practically seething behind her phone.

 _This is getting pointless...I think I'm gonna go back to my coffin -_ Lucy

 _And how about you stay in there? -_ Zach

 _Don't talk to my roommate like that! -_ Lynn

 _I'm not scared of you, especially after Ronnie Anne kicked your butt! I bet she can do it again! -_ Zach

Ronnie Anne and the Loud sisters knew that was highly doubtful at this point. But, that shouldn't be the focus of their discussion. They were burning moonlight arguing back and forth like the children they were, not even bothering to address the real reason for the conference call. Ronnie Anne was just about to call everyone to order, when a new reply showed up.

 _Just got out the bathroom and saw my phone buzzing like crazy. What's going on?_ \- Clyde

 _Clyde! Can you back us up here? Lincoln's sisters managed to get our numbers! -_ Rusty

 _And like Ronnie Anne said, she gave us your numbers! -_ Lana

 _More like you probably_ forced _her to._ \- Liam

Clyde took a moment to read back on the earlier texts, trying to figure out how all of this fighting started. He got pulled back to the bottom when Ronnie Anne sent a scathing message.

 _WILL ALL OF YOU JUST STFU FOR 1 MINUTE?! -_ R.A.

When no one sent another text for ten seconds, Ronnie Anne took the opportunity to voice her opinion. She typed as fast as she could, giving a small growl when she mistyped a word or autocorrect thought she was trying to spell a different word altogether.

 _Look, I know you boys aren't happy with the Louds. I'm not either, but I started this stupid group chat for a good reason. Clyde, what's Lincoln doing right now? -_ R.A.

 _He's about to head to sleep. I just hope he doesn't wake up screaming again... -_ Clyde

 _Sigh...he's still getting night terrors about us then..._ \- Lucy

 _Hold on a chicken second...you guys know he's afraid of you? -_ Liam

 _Uh, duh! I had to hide in icky garbage to avoid being seen by him today. AND my beautiful hair was compromised! -_ Lola

 _Our last visit to the hospital made that_ very _clear. I'm still wondering how that even came about. -_ Luan

 _Probably because you beat the fear into him?... -_ Rusty

 _Actually, we thought he'd be super mad at us. -_ Lynn

 _Wouldn't be surprised if he was angrier than my cousin Murial's bull. -_ Liam

 _Well he definitely isn't, so here we are. -_ Lola

 _That's the thing. We're trying to keep Lincoln from seeing you girls, and you five are trying to avoid being seen by him. So, can you Lame-Os do the math and see the problem here? -_ R.A.

The solution was so simple that even Lily could figure it out. But, it depended on whether or not everyone wanted to be on board. Ronnie Anne and Lynn already knew what their opinions on the matter were. Clyde figured that bridging the two groups would be useful in the long run, but wanted to see what everyone else thought first. The African-American suspected that the Loud sisters would agree to this idea as well, seeing as they had little choice. The only issues would be Rusty, Liam, and Zach; they were quite vocal and quick to insult the girls. In the twins room, they remained glued to their phones as they waited for someone else to voice their opinion. Lana heard Lola's phone giving off small ticks, catching the heated glare on her twin's face as she typed.

"Lola, I know what you're thinking right now, but insulting them back isn't going to help."

"I'd rather stick my head in garbage than work with those ever-so-rude boys. How did Lincoln even become friends with the likes of those philistines?"

Lana folded her arms. "Do you really mean that? Cause I'm not going to do your hair a second time."

Lola glared at the tomboy for a few seconds before giving a low growl. She deleted the insult-riddled text and slammed her phone on the bed. "Fine, but I'm waiting to see what _they_ have to say first!"

Clyde twisted the knob of the guest room door and pushed it open a crack, wincing a little as it creaked in protest. As he peeked his head through, the nerdy child could make out the dark shape that was Lincoln lying on his right side, giving small snores every few seconds. Cleopawtra was curled up next to him, the feline uttering a small meow as she caught sight of her owner. It was rather odd how such a vicious feline had developed a soft spot for the white-haired child, especially when Clyde recalled how she used to leave scratch marks on their faces when either one of them tried to pet her. Judging from the look on his face, Lincoln didn't appear to be having any night terrors this time. Closing the door, Clyde went back to his room and picked up the phone.

 _I'm up for us working together, but there's one thing that worries me. I know Lincoln probably doesn't trust you girls at all right now, but what if he finds out we're doing this? Wouldn't we end up losing his trust too?_ \- Clyde

 _Yeah, can't risk that..._ \- Rusty

 _If he does, whose he gonna turn to? Don't want Linc to think we're trying to hurt him or anythin'._ \- Liam

 _We already know how that feels...but it's not gonna come to that as long as we're sneaky about it. -_ Lynn

A pregnant pause captured the group once more.

 _...I miss him... -_ Lucy

 _Same... -_ Luan

 _Ever since I got my journal back...I've been filling it with poems to describe our situation perfectly. It was already bad enough that Lincoln had to stay in that hospital for weeks, but now he can't even return to us because he thinks we're demons. If it were other circumstances, I'd take that as a compliment; but now...I just want him to come home... -_ Lucy

Shortly after her text, the 8 year old posted a picture that was recently taken with the phone's camera. It was a rather elegant paper drawing of Lucy on her knees, hugging the legs of her brother as if she was begging for his love again. Parts of the paper itself were saturated with small, damp spots; a possible indication that the artist had been crying while making it. Each of the kids gave a sad frown at the drawing, and Rusty, Zach, and Liam were reconsidering their comments from earlier. While they weren't fond of the Loud sisters, they could at least acknowledge that their opinions about the girls were a tad off base.

 _Hang on, Lucy's starting to cry again. Give me a min. -_ Lynn

 _So, unless it wasn't obvious, all of us want Lincoln to get better. I don't really like the girls myself-and I was initially hesitant to even do this-but if Linc isn't taken care of any time soon, it might not even matter. So, are we doing this or not? -_ R.A.

 _Shoot. After seein' a picture like that, I can't say no. -_ Liam

 _I think everyone already knows my feelings about it. -_ Clyde

 _Can we make jackets? -_ Lana

 _Are we sure about this?_ \- Rusty

 _Uhm...can we think it over tomorrow? -_ Zach

Ronnie Anne growled in frustration. Leave it to the two idiots to keep making it complicated. At least Liam actually has a brain.

 _If both of you say no in your next text, there's a couple toilets that are perfect for your heads. -_ R.A.

 _Ok, point taken. Guess we have new members to add to our Lincoln protocol. -_ Rusty

 _Sorry, I meant to say yes.^^U -_ Zach

The Hispanic tomboy smirked. "That's what I thought."

 _Ok, if we're gonna be working together, can we_ please _name it something else?... -_ Luan

 _I don't want to hear the word 'protocol' for as long as I live. -_ Lola

 _We'll talk about this in the morning when we meet up in front of the school. If you got anything else to say, save it for tomorrow. I'm going to bed. -_ R.A.

 _Yeah. All this thinking is making me tired. -_ Rusty

 _Not like you were using your head anyways. -_ R.A.

 _Wait...who put you in charge? -_ Lola

 _Since me and Lynn came up with this, I'd say both of us are. Now go to sleep. -_ R.A.

Lola was about to make a retort, but Lana threw her pillow at her before the younger twin could send it. Giving off feigned anger, the princess grabbed her own pillow and the twins started engaging in a pillow fight. Everyone else started to bid each other goodnight before the texts stopped completely. Ronnie Anne placed her phone on her new nightstand before slipping off her day clothes. After putting on her pajamas, she pulled her scrunchie off; her hair flowing down to her mid-back after being freed from its ponytail. Just as she was about to get comfortable in bed, the Hispanic girl heard her nightstand vibrate as a new text came in.

"For God's sake, what now?..." She growled. Grabbing the device, she saw it was a personal message from Clyde.

 _You still awake? -_ Clyde

 _What McBride? I'm about to sleep... -_ R.A.

 _So, how did your meeting with the girls go? It seemed rather odd how you guys just swapped numbers, and earlier you sounded like you weren't really going to ask them 'nicely'. -_ Clyde

Ronalda breathed a heavy sigh. "Of course he'd ask that..."

 _Look...don't tell this to_ anyone, _but you were right... -_ R.A.

 _Huh? -_ Clyde

 _Let's just say that Lynn would've floored me if she felt like it 2 weeks ago. Now go to sleep. -_ R.A.

Clyde didn't send another text afterwards. He didn't want to make Ronnie Anne irritated even further, and it was half past his bedtime. All 10 kids drifted off into an uneasy sleep, well aware of what kind of tensions awaited them in just 12 hours.

* * *

That Tuesday morning, both parties met in front of the school to discuss their approach to dealing with Lincoln's behavior. The only one absent was Clyde, as he was taking Lincoln on an alternate path to school that would buy them 20 minutes. The meeting only lasted half that amount, and it almost ended on a sour note. Lola kept glaring daggers at Rusty and Zach, while Liam tried to pretend he wasn't shrinking under the 6 year old's predatory gaze. Ronnie Anne held an indifferent look as she, Lynn, and Luan discussed the terms of their agreement. As per the Louds' wish, their name of the plan was changed to Sibling Avoidance System. Lincoln's friends would continue to keep tabs on the 11 year old's whereabouts, with the added bonus of relaying this information to the girls. The sisters would keep their distance as usual, with the aid of the other's notifications so they know what areas of the school to avoid. When it came to lunch periods, Lynn suggested that the girls eat outside like she did the previous day. When asked if Lincoln decided to eat out in the playground, Lynn responded with, "Then just sit your butt inside, well away from the windows." Lola also added her own rule: under no circumstance should anyone give false info about Lincoln's position. If anyone was caught doing it, not only would the princess go after them, but Lynn and Ronnie Anne would get sloppy seconds. That last bit was mostly directed at Lincoln's 3 classmates than Ronalda and Clyde.

For the next two days, the Sibling Avoidance System worked well. While Lincoln was still a little jumpy at being in school, the lack of appearances from his sisters helped keep his anxiety down to manageable levels. Clyde can still see him occasionally looking around for any sign of the girls, but he never got irritated at reassuring his friend that everything would be fine. On Wednesday, Lincoln opted to eat outside for lunch this time around. While he couldn't really do anything physical with his injured arm, the boy still wanted to enjoy the fresh, spring air. Luan sat in the cafeteria that day, occasionally glancing at his happy face through the window. The comedian felt her heart lift a little seeing her brother look anything but depressed, but it pained her knowing that she couldn't be the one to make him happy. Ever since Lincoln was admitted to the hospital, Luan wanted nothing more than to give him the biggest dosage of the best kind of medicine: laughter. However, that proved to be complicated considering the rules of her personal punishment, which became enforced even further upon seeing Lincoln curl into a ball of misery at the sight of herself and her sisters. Never before had such a goal seemed so far away now, which made Luan's appetite decrease the more she thought about it. The comedian wound up spending that period picking at her food instead of eating, something that hadn't gone unnoticed by a certain emo around her age.

By the time Thursday rolled in though...the kids' avoidance protocol was about to be tested...

"Attention students and teachers, please make your way to the gymnasium for the school-wide mandatory assembly. Thank you." Spoke Secretary Cheryl Reese as her voice was carried through the P.A. system.

"There was supposed to be a school assembly today?" Lincoln asked.

"Why yes. All of the faculty talked about it this past Tuesday, but apparently someone didn't get the message out before then." Agnes replied, putting the chalk in the holder at the bottom of the board. "We'll continue with our multiplication problems when we get back." Half the class groaned, as they expected it to be a free-pass out of math.

Lincoln turned to Clyde as the students started getting up from their seats. "So, what do you think it's about?"

"Not sure, but it might be due to some fights that had been occurring around the school lately." Clyde stated.

Lincoln raised a brow. "What fighting?"

"Oh, you weren't here when it happened. There's been at least 3 of em' while you were still strapped to bed." Liam answered. "Even Ronnie Anne got into a fight with-" The farm boy stopped when Clyde nudged him.

"Ixneigh on the name-eh!" Clyde whispered. Their class joined the sea of students as they made their way towards the gym.

Lincoln rubbed his chin as he recalled Ronnie Anne missing a tooth when she first visited him. "Now that you mention it...her face did look a little bruised when she came to me in the hospital, and she had a tooth missing..."

Clyde and Liam felt their phones vibrate in their pockets. Pulling them out, they saw that there was a text in their group chat.

 _Did she say it was a_ school-wide _assembly? -_ Lucy

 _This isn't good! Lincoln will definitely see us! -_ Luan

 _How are we supposed to hide?! -_ Lana

Lincoln looked in confusion as Clyde and Liam were busy on their phones. "Something wrong guys?"

Clyde bit his lower lip as he tried to think of something. "Keep him distracted!" He whispered to Liam.

The farm boy nodded and put his phone away, doing his best to ignore the constant texting that was going on in the group chat. "It's nothin'. So, how's the arm holdin' up?"

The white-headed child gazed at his broken wing. "I know I'm right handed and all, but I think I'm starting to miss using _both_ my arms."

Liam chuckled. "Huh, at least you didn't lose it entirely like my distant cousin Ellis. I ever tell you about the time he tried wrestlin' gators in the swamp?"

As Liam started to ramble on with his story, Clyde did his best to calm everyone's nerves.

 _Don't panic! We can think this through...so whose in the gym right now? -_ Clyde

 _Me and Lola are sitting on the first row of bleachers. -_ Lana

 _Just got in. Sitting on the 3rd row opposite of the twins. -_ Lucy

 _Still making my way over there. -_ Lynn

 _Same. -_ Luan

 _That's what she said lol. -_ Rusty

 _Shut up Rusty... -_ R.A.

 _"Dang it... "_ Clyde groaned in frustration. If the girls were gonna be sitting on opposite sides of the gym, Lincoln was sure to spot at least one of them. Taking his eyes off his phone, the nerdy child saw that Liam still had Lincoln's attention. The white-haired child only shifted his focus to avoid bumping into any of the students around him. Clyde's eyes widened as an idea hatched in his head.

 _If we can keep Lincoln distracted, he probably won't notice anyone else. -_ Clyde

 _And how do you propose we do that? -_ R.A.

 _Liam's doing a good job keeping him occupied. I might help if Lincoln starts to get bored. -_ Clyde

 _Maybe you can talk to him about Ace Savvy, or whatever it is you guys do. -_ Lynn

As the boys' class entered the gym, the could see it was nearly packed; students and teachers were still entering the room from both exits on each side. The school principal stood with the head guidance counselor in the center of the basketball court, casually watching the crowd gather. As luck would have it, the twins happened to be sitting on the side Ms. Johnson led her class to. Both blondes ducked down after noticing the 5th grade class, hoping to not stick out among the other younger kids. Unlike them, Lucy would have an easier time since few people are actually aware of her presence. Liam and Clyde couldn't see Lynn or Luan anywhere; they likely hadn't reached the gym yet. The boys sat down in one of the middle rows, and were soon joined by Ronnie Anne who sat in the row directly above them. Rusty and Zach were a bit more spread out, but within eyesight.

A couple minutes later, Lynn and Luan's classes came in. They were stuck trying to get up to the higher rows where the last few seats were available. Lincoln took a moment to glance around. Not that Liam's stories weren't interesting, but his neck felt a little uncomfortable from looking to one side after a while. Clyde, Ronnie Anne, and Liam grew nervous as Lincoln shifted his attention elsewhere. Liam tried to get him to look at him once more by retelling a memory about how he and his cousin almost got bombed by the army after accidentally wandering into a testing range during a camping trip. The chip-tooth boy was listening, but he kept looking around. Luan nearly froze in place when the 11 year old looked in her direction, but she used her classmates as cover at the last second. In spite of the weird looks a few were giving the braced girl, Lincoln failed to spot her. Lynn was seated high up on the opposite side, silently praying that her brother wouldn't think to look up. It was one of those few instances she wished she had Lucy's ability to just disappear.

"And it wasn't just any regular bombs neither. They were using shrapnel bombs, cluster bombs, nerve gas bombs, those little bombs that broke into even smaller bombs, and Ellis ended up-"

"Liam." Ronnie Anne said with a false smile, her left eye twitching a little. "Can you please stop?"

The farm boy frowned. "But I was gettin' to the good part..."

The Hispanic girl deadpanned. "I think the main point of the story is, your cousin is crazy."

Liam folded his arms. "Ain't that the truth."

Principal Walker saw that the last few people walked in, so he started testing the mic. "Check one..." The students began to quiet down after hearing his voice. "Ok this works. Good morning students. Sorry to pull you away from your classes, but myself and the staff have scheduled this little assembly today so we can address a particular issue that's been plaguing our school the last few weeks. As you may have known, several students have been involved in at least 3 separate fights. I won't give any names, but they know who they are." Lynn and Ronnie Anne subconsciously shrank in their seats. "I'm pretty certain it goes without question that fighting is not tolerated in _or_ on school grounds. In the past, everyone whose been involved in some conflict had been temporarily suspended. It was thought that after the first time it occurred, no one else would think to try and instigate a fight. But then we've had to suspend 5 more students for the same thing. So now, I'm going to install a new punishment: any students that happen to be caught fighting around the school will not only be given a 3 day suspension, but you will also spend a week doing in-school suspension as well."

A chorus of groans and complaints erupted from the students, prompting the teachers to silence them. At that point, the guidance counselor took over. "Yes, we all know you hate ISS, but at this point, it was either that or extending your out-of-school suspensions. You may not like it, but we believe that it would be beneficial for all students in the future. One of the most common things about ISS is that it allows teachers to find out what is the problem a student is facing and how we can help them avoid this problem in the future."

The counselor continued to talk about the advantages of being stuck in ISS, which started to bore a good amount of the student body. Some were questioning why they didn't just send everyone a letter explaining the new rules and be done with it. Sitting through a lecture on 'why it's bad to fight in school' was definitely much more sleep-inducing than sitting through whatever classes the students had left. Even so, the whole issue was subjective as one student might have a good reason to start a fight. Ronnie Anne certainly thought so as she recalled her and Lynn's initial confrontation that one Monday.

Lincoln was starting to grow dreary as the guidance counselor continued. Since he wasn't one to get into fights or anything violent, he felt it didn't concern him much. Deciding to take his mind off the subject at hand, he breathed a low sigh before giving a casual glance at the students sitting on the opposite side of the gym. Most seemed to share his sentiments, preferring to look at their phone, whisper to their friends, read a book, or even take a short nap. Lincoln was about to ask Liam if he had any more crazy stories about his cousin, when he spotted a familiar looking set of black hair sitting around the middle rows of the bleachers. The boy's eyes widened before he sat up straight, the familiar feeling of dread swelling in his core. Only one person came to mind with hair like that: Lincoln's dark-loving sister.

"L-Lucy?..." Lincoln's voice was so light that it almost wasn't there.

However, to his surprise and relief, the student in question wasn't Lucy, but a close friend of hers. Haiku was giving the same monotonous expression she always did. Lincoln deduced she hadn't really changed since the Sadie Hawkins Dance, not that he'd expect her too. The goth looked up by chance and matched his gaze. Upon seeing Lincoln, the 8 year old gave him a rare smile. Well, it was more of a slight upward movement of her lips than a full smile, but Lincoln knew what she meant. Yet, this didn't sit well with Lincoln. He knew that Haiku and Lucy probably shared the same class, so if his old 'date' was here...then his sister was as well. Now that he thought about it, the _entire_ student body was informed to come to the gym, and considering that 5 of his sisters attended the same school as himself...

A cold sweat ran down the side of Lincoln's face, his widened eyes locked in a trance. That sense of dread was slowly turning into sheer panic with his sisters _literally_ being in the same room as himself. Despite being surrounded by many different people, including his friends, Lincoln felt like he was being singled out. He could feel ten pairs of eyes stalking him from afar, just waiting for the opportunity to strike. Or, if the girls felt confident, they'd try to take him out for the whole school to see. To make it worse, Lincoln realized he might be surrounded already. They could be sitting to his front, below, above, or even _directly behind him_. The boy's breath began to hitch as he shook uncontrollably, his eyes rapidly scanning the crowd for any of his sisters; each failed spot check making him more antsy by the second.

Lincoln let out a short yelp when a hand placed itself on his shoulder. The gesture wasn't in hostility, as it was soft to the touch. Daring a peek to his left, the Loud could see Ronnie Anne's fingers lightly grasping his shirt.

"Lincoln..." The Hispanic tomboy spoke. The boy turned to meet her concerned gaze. "You need to calm down. No one is going to hurt you as long as we're here..."

"B-But..."

"Just stop thinking about it Lame-O." Ronnie Anne patted his shoulder.

Liam gave a small frown before taking out his phone. He gave an annoyed scowl at how many unread texts his message box had. Taking a moment to read past them, the farm boy typed his own message.

 _Welp girls, he knows yer in here now... -_ Liam

A moment later, an angry reply came back.

 _WHAT?! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO KEEP HIM OCCUPIED! -_ Lola

 _Sorry. We...kinda got distracted ourselves. -_ Liam

 _I wouldn't blame you. This speech is so boring, I could use it as a sleep aid. -_ Luan

 _If there's a God, can we please get out of here now? -_ Rusty

As if his prayers were answered, the counselor concluded his message, and shortly after, the students were dismissed to go to their next classes.

 _Well, Hallelujah. -_ Rusty

The teachers kept their students in line as they began to clear out of the gym. Lincoln calmed down a little, seeing as he had a chance to escape the deathtrap that was the gym and make it to the safety of Ms. Johnson's classroom. Once the lower rows were cleared enough, the class started to head back. Ronnie Anne understandably couldn't join them, but she promised to meet them at recess. Liam and Clyde frowned a little, hoping they could keep Lincoln from blitzing into another panic.

Unfortunately for the boys, whatever order there was in the gym quickly disappeared in the halls. Students from all grades were moving about, idling, or just chatting it up until they had to be ordered to move onto class. At times, the three 5th graders were rudely shoved by the larger kids, almost knocking them to the floor. Clyde and Liam did their best to lead Lincoln through the chaos like a lighthouse in thick fog.

However, just as they were crossing another hallway, they got bumped hard by 2 large 8th graders of similar build. "Watch where you're walking nerds!" The older, fat boy stated irritably before continuing on. More students from the gym began to crowd the halls in the few seconds that followed.

"Well, that was rude..." Liam glared at the direction the boys went.

"Yeah..." Clyde groaned, adjusting his glasses. Doing a quick spot check, he noted a certain someone was missing. "Um...where's Lincoln?"

Liam pointed to his right. "Oh he's right-" He stopped when he realized he was pointing at an empty space. "Uh oh..."

Immediately, the two boys started calling out for Lincoln, only to get drowned out by the noise generated from the combination of talking students and footsteps. Lincoln himself was just several feet from his friends, but couldn't see or hear them. Realizing he was alone, a sense of dread washed over him once again. Knowing his sisters were probably roaming the halls, Lincoln was unsure of what direction he should move in. Sadly, he wouldn't be able to make his own choice as the five minute warning bell rang. All students stopped what they were doing and began stampeding towards their classes. Lincoln was forced to join the sudden rush as a couple students ended up pushing him forward. Since he wasn't running at his own will, the 11 year old ended up tripping over his feet when he tried to push under his own power. The white-headed boy was put in a small daze as his face hit the floor, his left arm throbbed in pain a bit due to it cushioning his fall. Shaking his head, Lincoln began to push himself back up, only to be forced back down as someone stepped on his back. The boy gave a small cry of pain as it happened a few more times, even as students were beginning to swerve around his body to avoid the obstacle he presented.

Luan was among the crowd rushing back to class. The fact she sat on the top row, and several people were blocking the flow of traffic in the hall, meant she'd probably be late getting back to class. At least her teacher would be understandable since she sat them up there in the first place. Staying against the wall, she moved forward at a steady pace. Upon reaching a certain part of the hallway, her ears were drawn to a sharp cry of pain being produced by a younger student. Looking towards her left, she could just make out a student lying on the ground as others attempted to circumvent them. Between the sea of feet, Luan identified an orange shirt and a head full of white hair. Before she could question the identity of the student, another cry of pain confirmed to her that it was indeed Lincoln.

Luan stopped dead in her tracks, students continuing to rush past her. She knew Lincoln needed help, but was hesitant on approaching him knowing his fear towards her. Even if Lincoln became aware of their presence, he still hadn't seen them yet. She could've let Lincoln be and continue on like nothing happened, and hate herself afterward for not helping her brother when he needed it; or she could let her sisterly instinct take over and aid him, possibly making Lincoln even more terrified in the process. Hearing Lincoln give off another small cry made that decision much easier. Pushing away from the wall, Luan shoved her way through the crowd, knocking down anyone unfortunate enough to be caught between herself and her brother. When another student was about to step on Lincoln, she gave the person a hard shove to the floor. The boy she pushed glared at her, but Luan gave the downed student a glare so fierce that her teeth appeared to have temporarily looked like that of a shark. The 8th grader immediately got back up and took off running. Gripping Lincoln by the shoulders, she helped him to his feet before guiding him out of the stampede.

The crowd began to thin out as Luan checked the 11 year old. Aside from some footprints on the back of his shirt and a little dirt on his face, he didn't look too bad. "You ok Linc?"

"Yeah...thanks-" Lincoln stopped upon realizing who he was talking to. His pupils shrank to the size of peas as his eyes became the size of dinner plates. "L...Lu...L-Luan?!..." He finally stammered out.

Luan bit her lip, slowly clasping her hands together near her waist. That look her brother was giving her...she remembered seeing it back in the hospital, filling her heart with immense regret. Seeing it again this close made her quite unnerved as she took a half step back. Lincoln stood stock still, his body refusing to respond to his mind as it told him to run like hell. To him, the boy felt he was staring under the heated gaze of a lion as it was contemplating the right moment to strike. The halls began to quiet down, allowing the comedian to hear the uneasy breaths her brother was giving. The boy heard his heartbeat fill his ears along with his panicked breaths, his body fidgeting ever so slightly as it was trying to work up the courage to flee. Luan didn't dare utter a single word, for fear that she might cause him to scream again. Their tense standoff was soon interrupted, as Clyde and Liam came onto the scene shortly after getting past the dispersing crowd. The two boys took Lincoln away, trying to give him some encouragement to ignore Luan the best he could. As they ran back to class, Lincoln stole a glance at his older sister. She remained standing where she was, and while he was unsure of it, he could've swore he saw a few tears streaming down her cheeks.

* * *

Once the dust settled, and after finding out that Luan came into contact with Lincoln, the group chat was alive with texts going back and forth on who was to blame for the incident. A few of the sisters pointed fingers at Clyde and Liam for their failure to keep a close eye on Lincoln, while the boys argued that Luan shouldn't have approached him and let them help. In anger, Luan gave a fiery comment on how she wasn't about to let her little brother be sent to the hospital again. It was possibly the first time anyone saw the comedian letting off a string of swears; the twins were still trying to figure out what half those words even meant. After the blame-fest was dealt with, everyone finally shifted their concern to how Lincoln was feeling. The boy's fidgety state was quite obvious, though instead of outright anxiety, Lincoln appeared to be confused or lost on something.

The white-headed boy was still shaken from running into his sister, and she had the perfect opportunity to try and harm him. It would've been just like the last nightmare he had, except it was in the hallway and not the classroom. He waited for her to do something, _anything_ so he could have a valid reason to run away...but Luan just stood there with a concerned look on her face. When Clyde and Liam came to bail him out, Luan's eyes looked a little glassy when he dared to steal a peek at her. If Luan really was crying, why? Why didn't she attack him? And on that note...why did she save him from being trampled to death? Lincoln wasn't sure whether it was genuine, or another ruse to let his guard down for a prank later on. After all, Luan had a habit of launching a prank on him when he least expected it. She probably even recorded him getting stepped on for her own amusement. But...he couldn't shake that look she gave him as he ran off. Lincoln's mind was telling him it was a hoax, but his heart was saying something else...

These conflicted feelings plagued him for the rest of the day, even after Lincoln and Clyde made it back to the McBride residence. The kids put their Sibling Avoidance System back to work, making a note to think of a solution when it comes to situations where the whole school needed to attend. Clyde had repeatedly asked Lincoln if he'd be ok, especially as bed time approached. Lincoln stated he'd be fine despite growing nervous about sleeping again. Once the boys settled into their respective rooms, Lincoln lied on the bed, picking up an issue of Ace Savvy to read. Like usual, he stripped out of most of his clothing, leaving only his undies and shirt on. He would've removed the shirt, but the strap to his arm would begin to chafe his shoulder if left on his skin for too long. The issue the Loud boy read wasn't new by any means, seeing as the date was almost a month ago. Lincoln just felt he needed to take his mind off the day by indulging in his favorite series. As he read through the pages, his tiredness finally made itself known. It wasn't long before Lincoln placed the issue on top of his eyes to darken the view before promptly falling asleep. His mind began to wonder, building up yet another dreamscape to play in.

Once it was finished, Lincoln found himself standing at the edge of a tall building, looking at the dark city streets with interest. A black mask was covering his eyes, the younger boy wearing nothing but a red suit with black boots, a yellow belt, and a navy colored cape that swayed in the wind. The front of said cape had an 'A' etched on the front of the collarbone area. To the public, he was known as Lincoln Loud, the only other male in a family of 13, with 10 sisters of various ages. At least, that's what he was during the day. At night...he was known as Ace Savvy, the savviest crime fighter that lived in the city of Royal Woods. He wasn't alone either.

Next to him, sat a girl that appeared to be at least 7 or 8 in age, with light blonde hair that was tied in a bun to the back of her head. This little girl was dressed as a purple commando, equipped with spiked combat boots, BDU camo shorts, knee and elbow pads, a plain light colored shirt, and a BDU camo patrol cap with the number 2 etched on the sides. Like Ace, she had her own eye-mask and cape, along with a grenade bandolier on her chest and a four-tubed rocket launcher strapped to her back. Lily, or Deuce as she's known, was not only the one member of the Full House Gang that packed a potent smell, but she used to be the youngest member of the team. After some concerns from High Card and Eleven of Hearts about taking a baby into the crime fighting game, Card Counter decided to produce an aging serum to ease their worries. While it was only in the prototype stage, Deuce went from being a baby in diapers to being between Lucy and the twins in terms of age. Aside from having to learn everything that came with being as old as she was, one main consequence was that Lily lost the ability to produce her main weapons: stinky diapers. To remedy this, Card Counter made specialized stink bombs with the aforementioned launcher. Granted, Deuce still made some of the foulest smells anyone had the displeasure of taking a whiff of if she had to use the bathroom, but a launcher was a lot better than a 7 year old slinging her own poo around. Two things that didn't change with the sudden age-up was the one tooth that stuck out of her mouth, and her bubbly personality.

"Do you think we'll get action tonight Lincoln?" Deuce asked, her legs swinging back and forth as they dangled over the edge. Her voice sounded much like Lola's, but with more compassion and less snark.

Ace gave a short laugh, turning his head towards the little girl. "You really should stop calling me that when were patrolling Deuce."

"It's the truth though, and you didn't answer my question."

"We might." Ace looked back at the streets, giving a small frown. "If the girls don't need help that is..."

Deuce frowned as well, bringing her knees to her chest. "It's not fair..."

Ace glanced back at her. "Huh?"

"It's not fair Ace!" She spoke heatedly. "You do your best to find these bad guys, and all they do is just say bad things about you! It's not like they haven't been trying to find Card Countess or Old Maid lately! I swear...sometimes..." Looking down at her bandolier, she unhooked one of her grenades, tossing and catching it in a threatening manner. "Sometimes I just want to shove one of my grenades in their mouths."

Ace gave a sigh, looking up at the starry night sky. "I wouldn't blame you if you did. Yeah, we had a bad streak lately. It's not the end of the world." He turned back to Deuce. "At least we keep thwarting their plans, right?"

The blonde nodded. "I just don't get why _they_ don't see it..."

Lately, there's been a bit of tension between the rest of the gang and Ace. The team had been unable to catch certain villains due to Ace's strategies not always working, and they grew especially frustrated when the team got very close to taking a villain down, only for something to interfere at the last moment and allow the antagonist to escape. The frustration from these failed captures even spread to their home life. Whenever Lincoln wanted to offer help, their sisters would make up some excuse that Lincoln didn't need to help, or in a few cases, rudely tell him to butt out.

Only reason the two were by themselves currently was due to the others being out on a mission. They had been on the trail of The Card Shark for a while, and the girls jumped at the opportunity to bring him in. When Ace offered to come, the gang confirmed they had things covered. Deuce hadn't gotten the message as she had been on the can, and no one was willing to get within 30 feet of the restroom.

"Well..." Ace started. "They probably just need time to realize that things aren't as bad as they seem." The boy sat down next to his sister. "It's very funny though."

"What is?" Deuce asked, glancing at him.

"Card Counter might be the smartest member of the team, but she sure is clueless when it comes to figuring out the whole picture."

Deuce gave a cute giggle. "That is funny, especially since she's my roommate."

A sudden ringing in their ears brought the two out of their little laugh fest. Both put a hand to their ears. "This is Ace."

"Ace! We need backup here, like now!" It was Strong Suit.

"Why, what's going on?" The boy stood up.

"We found Card Shark, but it turns out he's working with Card Countess and Black Jack! It's a little too much for us to handle-" The line cut out.

"Strong Suit?...Strong Suit?!" Ace called over the comm, but got no response back.

Ace and Deuce looked at each other in worry. A villain team-up spelt bad news no matter how you pronounced it. Only God knows what those fiends could cook up when they were together. "Well Deuce, guess you got your wish..."

The grenadier bit her lip. "I think I'm starting to regret it..."

* * *

After getting a fix on the gang's location, the duo made their way towards some shipping facilities on the coast. They spotted Vanzilla perched a ways away, hidden from view to the casual observer. After infiltrating the area, Ace and Deuce went into a prone position as they cautiously edged closer to the side of a roof. The 11 year old took out a pair of binoculars, scanning the area for threats. "Typical villain hideout in a spot that's well away from public eyes, and secured. The fact it's by the pier means this is probably Card Shark's territory..."

"You see anything?" Deuce whispered.

Ace shook his head. "Nope...no guards, nothing. They're probably expecting us..."

"So what are we gonna do?"

Ace put his binoculars away. "I'll go in first and cause a distraction to try and lure them out, while you find the girls and free them."

Deuce frowned. "But...can't I help you? I mean, this is _three_ of our arch enemies we're talking about!"

The older hero put a hand on Deuce's shoulder. "Don't worry Deuce. They might be three, but I always got an Ace up my sleeve. Plus, if things get hairy, I got a few more tricks to play."

The blonde hummed in thought for a moment. She shook her head in compliance. "Ok...just be safe Lincoln..."

"I will Lily."

The two hugged before beginning their plan. They stayed glued to the roofs before splitting up to cover more ground. Ace found it pretty odd on how not a single guard was in sight, and he was practically near the center of the complex. Either they set up a trap on the inside, or something else was going on. His instincts were telling him that clearly something was amiss, but he just couldn't figure out what it was. Looking off to the side, Ace noticed a couple sparks emitting off the corner of a building. Squinting his eyes, it looked as if something was torn off its mount. Glancing at the ground, bits and pieces of metal were scattered about. The hero jumped off the roof to get a closer look, trying to make as little noise as possible when he landed. Walking over to the scene, Ace knelt down, trailing his fingers along the ground until he touched something of interest. A piece of glass stood out among the metal. Tapping it, Ace confirmed it was the lens of a camera. The boy then shifted his attention to the sides of the building, noticing that many other cameras were broken off. Those that weren't broken appeared to be offline.

"Card Counter and Strong Suit's work...Night Club would've smashed these lens to pieces with her amp..."

Ace spotted a large warehouse that seemed to have some activity going on inside. Making his way over, he found a ventilation shaft before popping the hatch open and sneaking inside. Besides the sound of machinery going on, it was eerily quiet. After a few minutes of crawling through the dusty shaft, Ace spotted a large form on the ground floor of the darkened room. He popped the grate open, dropping 5 stories onto the floor and rolling to reduce the pain he felt in his feet. When he got out of his roll, the boy was surprised to come face to face with Card Shark himself. But, that wasn't the only thing that was wrong. The villain himself was out cold, and so were his henchmen. All of them had been tied up with colorful straps, no doubt the work of a certain member of the gang.

"Eleven...but...where are the other-" Ace stopped short when he felt something wrap around his body tightly before being pulled back by a large force. Ace barely got a scream in before he was slammed into one of the massive containers, a large ringing noise emitting from the impact. He was then hoisted into the air and left dangling from the ceiling. "Ugh..." Looking down at himself, the boy saw it was the same colorful strap used to tie up the villains. He gawked in surprise before the lights suddenly kicked on, temporarily blinding the hero.

"It seems my calculations were a little off when it came to the timing." A familiar, intelligent voice stated.

"Card Counter?" Ace blinked twice to adjust to the brightness before turning his head towards the voice. What he found wasn't just Card Counter, but the rest of the missing gang. Eleven of Hearts kept a hold on the sash that kept him bounded. "W-What's going on?"

"Easy." Queen of Diamonds stated. "This is a little coup, 'Ace'." She flashed a toothy grin to go with her mockery.

"A coup? I knew you guys were-" Ace stopped himself as a thought came to him. "Wait a minute...you guys can't be real. There's no way my _real_ team would actually do something so crazy. You're all just a bunch of fakes!" He claimed with a smug grin.

The girls looked at themselves before giving a haughty laugh, making the 11 year old form a scowl.

"You would wish that were true, wouldn't you twerp?" High Card spoke between giggles.

"Sorry Lame-O, but we're the real deal. I mean, could a fake of me do _this_?" Strong Suit stated as she picked up a large piece of piping and threw it at Ace. The boy's eyes bulged out before swinging himself backward, narrowly avoiding possible impalement. The pipe stuck itself into the roof, making a loud clang.

"Need anymore encouragement Ace? I could always play a tune loud enough to make ya lose your hearing." Night Club stated with a sinister grin.

"Alright, fine...you guys are real. But why are you girls doing this?"

"Well, there's a certain ace of a zero hanging up there for a reason." Joker laughed, making everyone else roll their eyes.

"What she means is, we're literally tired Ace." High Card folded her arms. "Your constant failures as a leader have shown that you're incapable of leading this team, or capturing villains for that matter. As you saw upon getting here, we already rounded up Card Shark _without_ your help. At this point, I think it's safe to say we literally don't need you anymore."

Ace gave a deadpanned look. "So, you lured me here just to gloat?"

"There's more to it than that actually." Eight of Spades answered. "We felt you probably wouldn't agree with the changes, so we believe we'd have to change your mind a different way."

"Well of course I wouldn't agree with it!" Ace shouted, rocking back and forth slightly from his position. "Look, I know you guys are mad about a streak of bad luck, but I'm trying ok! It's not easy when you're the only person on the team whose good at tracking others!"

"I disagree." Card Counter stated, pulling up a small computer. "After studying the traffic routes of a suspiciously large number of shipments heading to this facility, as well as tracing some of our adversary's goons after they were spotted on camera a couple days ago, I deduced that Card Shark was based somewhere within this area. And now, here we are. One captured villain, and one fool who claims to be a hero."

"Hey! I was in the hero game long before you guys started it!" Ace retorted.

"And it seems the student became the master." Card Counter fired back. "For all we know, you might be working _with_ our enemies."

Ace let a frustrated growl escape him. "I would _never_ do such a thing for as long as I live! I'd rather be dealing justice than getting served it."

"Well, you might do that. But what would everyone else think?" Royal Flush bemused, leaning on her trusty pipe wrench.

The boy narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?..."

"Just think on it for a sec. We all know the general public looks up to you. But...what if we were to change their opinion about you?" Queen of Diamonds chuckled darkly. "It would be easy to make everyone believe you were leading them on this whole time."

"It'd be the word of 11 against 1, Ace." Hearts quipped.

Card Counter slapped her forehead. " _Nine_ , Eleven..."

"Wait, it's the anniversary of that day already?" Hearts asked in confusion.

High Card gave an exasperated sigh. Eleven could be so ditzy that it was amazing how she was able to use that sash so well. "Anyways...that's what will happen if you don't agree to our terms."

"Let me guess." Ace deadpanned. "You'll want me to quit being a hero, or else you're gonna ruin my reputation and come after me?"

"Huh. Guess the 'Savvy' part of your name rings true then." The oldest member gave a smug grin at the younger hero. "So what's it going to be?"

Ace glared at the girls below him before looking up at where Eleven's sash kept him suspended. The young hero rocked himself back and forth before doing a few twists and turns in the air. Then, he performed a downward push that caught Eleven of Hearts off-guard. She gripped the sash to regain control, but it was too late. Ace unraveled himself from the bindings and landed on the floor.

The 11 year old had his eyes closed as he loosened his joints a bit. "Deuce was right. You girls are nothing but petty and selfish, all because you can't handle the fact we failed to bring our enemies any real justice lately. How do you think I felt after each battle we did? Was I upset? Yes. Was I angry? Yes...but I would never think to place blame on anyone on my team, because I knew there would be another chance at finally bringing some peace to our city." He curled his hands into fists. "You can mock me, back me up against the wall, and threaten me all you want...but there's one thing you won't _ever_ be able to take from me," Ace glared his former team. "My love for heroism..."

Strong Suit chuckled, cracking her knuckles. "That could be arranged."

Each of the girls spread out to surround the lone hero on all sides. "Last chance Ace. Back out now and you'll save yourself a life time of pain and misery. If you refuse...well, I'll be sure to give you a decent funeral." Spades ordered.

At this point, Ace was done talking. There wasn't anything more that could be said that wouldn't lead to physical conflict. Taking up a fighting stance, the girls knew that they were going to have to get the message across the hard way. The running machinery took over as the primary source of noise as the Full House Gang stood in a tense stand off. Ace darted his eyes at each of the girls to his front and sides, silently daring any of them to make the first move. His ears were training on those behind him, listening for any sudden movements. Strong Suit curled and uncurled her fingers, Royal Flush tightened her grip on her wrench, Eleven of Hearts stretched her sash like a small whip, making a small popping sound; Night Club got her amp set up, High Card fixed her eye mask, Joker got her personal Jack in the box ready whilst Spades, and Queen readied their own weapons. Within a split second, eight of the heroines attacked at once.

Now, there was a reason why Ace Savvy was the leader of the group. Aside from having an inate ability to summon his allies at will from his deck of cards, he was an excellent fighter as well. Despite going in at the same time, the heroines were coming at him one after another. Ace side-stepped a punch from High Card before using her forward momentum to sling to the ground. Night Club swung her guitar at his head, forcing him to lean back to avoid a potential concussion. Ace rolled out of the way when she swung it down on him, before using the guitar as a platform to deliver a solid kick to her midsection. As Night Club stumbled back, Joker's Jack in a Box popped out with a large mallet. Not having enough time to dodge it, Ace took Night Club's axe and used it to block the hit. The toy kept trying to pound him before Ace finally managed to get a solid hit to knock it off balance. Joker had to move so she wouldn't get crushed herself.

"Get your hands off my axe dude!" Night Club yelled as she charged at him.

"You want it back so bad? Here!" Ace replied before cutting the charging musician off by throwing the guitar at her chest. The 15 year old was knocked back to the floor in a daze from the impact.

Ace turned as a familiar roar sounded. Strong Suit was running at him with one of her signature head charges. He knew better than to try and stop something like that, since Strong Suit was like a car running at 40mph when she was charging. However, she couldn't steer herself well when running at full speed, nor brake very quickly unless she hit something. Hearing a small noise behind him, the 11 year old saw Eight of Spades about to attack with her shovel. Ace smirked, seeing the opportunity to take both out at the same time. He stood still until Strong Suit got close enough. Right as she lunged at him, the hero ducked under her attack before launching a kick to her stomach. Eight of Spades stopped her attack as her teammate was sailing right towards her. She tried to avoid it, but Suit slammed into her like a train.

"Ow..." She wheezed.

"Sorry..." Strong Suit replied.

Another yell was heard as Royal Flush jumped at the hero, wrench at the ready. Behind her, Queen of Diamonds was summoning several card shaped gems. Being more experienced than the two, Ace knew how to subdue them without injury. When Flush got close, he grabbed the wrench and wrestled it from her hands before shoving the 6 year old to the ground. As she was getting up, Ace put a foot on her torso to hold her down. By then, Queen finished her summoning and flung over a dozen gems at the 11 year old. This proved to be a mistake as Ace used the wrench to deflect shots all around the room. Royal Flush covered her face due to the sparks each deflection produced.

Gem shards were sent in every which way. Some impacted the ceiling lights, causing to rain down to the color. Since Royal Flush was still on the floor, Ace protected her from any shards that might hit her. The rest of the heroines were forced to protect or dodge the incoming projectiles. High Card, Strong Suit, and Joker got cuts on their arms and legs from the assault. Eleven of Hearts got cuts into her sash, while Eight of Spades and Night Club used their respective weapons as shields. The rocker was none too pleased seeing that the strings got cut, giving a murderous glare at the lone hero. As for Queen of Diamonds, she protected her face from her own attack; but one of the shards nailed her right in the tiara, causing it to shatter.

The girly twin looked in horror at her trademark head piece. Without it, she was unable to manipulate any gems within her reach. It also happened to be her favorite fashion accessory. She gripped the broken pieces in anger, not caring if her hands started to bleed. "You. Ruined. MY. TIARA!"

"MY SASH!" Eleven of Hearts screamed in both fear and anger.

High Card examined the damage done to her suit. It was probably the greatest fashion statement Leni made for her, and the rest of her team. And now, Ace just damaged it. The 17 year old pulled out a small piece of glass that got stuck in her forearm. "Oh...you just made this a whole lot easier little bro..."

As the girls started to reorganize and retaliate, only one heroine hadn't engaged Ace at all. Card Counter stayed off to the side, observing the battle to find any potential weaknesses they could exploit. She knew she couldn't hope to match her brother in physical combat, seeing as Ace was handling himself well despite being outnumbered. However, part of the reason was due to the girls not coordinating their attacks. It seems she would have to fix that.

Reaching up to her ear, "Night Club."

"What dude?..." Growled the 15 year old as she was hastily re-stringing her guitar.

"Do you have your amp set up?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"I think you know why." The 4 year old gave a small smile.

* * *

Deuce gave a frustrated growl as she checked yet another empty building. She figured that, if her sisters were captured, they'd be hidden among the outer buildings of the complex. So far, it was like trying to find the needle in a hay stack. No guards, no traps, nothing that could give an indication on where the girls would be. The grenadier wished she was as good at finding clues like Ace was, maybe then she'd have an easier time. Speaking of Ace, the 7 year old hoped he was doing ok. It was a little weird how a large facility like this with 3 of their arch enemies didn't have a single grunt walking around to keep watch. But, Deuce just took this as a sign that maybe things would be easier than expected. She couldn't be more wrong...

The grenadier sat down on the roof, rapping her fingers against her arm as she tried to figure out how to solve this little dilemma. At that moment, loud music reached her ears, making Deuce look behind her. It was coming from a warehouse near the water, and there was only one person Deuce knew of that played loud rock music like there was no tomorrow. "Night Club..." She uttered, a small smile crossing her lips.

Vaulting over rooftops, she reached the warehouse the music was originating from. All of the windows had been blown out from constant bass tones being played, and Deuce felt her insides vibrating a little.

 _"Leave it to Luna to think she's always playing for an audience..."_ Lily thought to herself.

She slipped in through one of the broken windows, making sure to avoid cutting herself. When she got to one of the upper walkways and looked below, whatever confidence she had quickly melted into confusion and horror. Night Clubs was indeed playing a jam session, but seemed to be focusing all that energy directly on Ace. The 11 year old was on his knees, eyes shut tight and gritting his teeth in frustrating as he tried blocking out the sounds with his hands. It was proving to be futile, seeing as he continued to squirm in agony. The rest of the heroines were smugly watching, making sure he couldn't retaliate for the next attack. Strong Suit charged at him with her signature move. Ace managed to get an eye open and saw the attack coming, but couldn't muster a proper defense.

Right as he tried moving out of the way, Strong Suit slammed into the left side of his upper body. Ace screamed as he swore he felt the bones in his left arm break in several places. He tumbled across the floor several times before coming to a stop on his back. The boy gave a small hitched breath as he sat up. His arm was shooting with constant pain whenever he tried to move it.

"Guess that really cost you an arm, huh?" Joker laughed.

Strong Suit cracked her neck joints. "Got any tricks now Ace?"

Ace grimaced. It was difficult fighting his own teammates all at once, but if they were going to start working together, he wouldn't stand a chance with one of his arms broken. He was gonna have to call for help, now. Reaching for his belt, he felt around for his stacked deck, only to feel emptiness. The surprise on his face was clear as day.

"Looking for this?" A chilling voice spoke behind him. Looking back, Ace saw that Eight of Spades was in possession of his belt, and with it, his entire deck. "You won't need this anymore. Trust me." The 8 year old dropped it to the ground before smashing it to pieces.

"He won't be needing that suit much longer either, and maybe breathing." Queen of Diamonds claimed.

The girls surrounded him once again, fists at the ready with a few with close combat weapons having them brandished. Ace gave an audible gulp, fearing beginning to replace his anger. He heard stories about how heroic teams sometimes had a falling out and fought each other, but he believed his team was so close together that they wouldn't have to go through that issue. Seems he was wrong on that end. No one was going to come help him now that his deck was compromised, leaving him at the full mercy of his teammates. He couldn't even contact Deuce, who was probably still looking for her sisters. At this point, he just hoped she wouldn't have to witness what was about to happen.

The grenadier watched in complete shock as her own teammates jumped their leader and started beating him into the floor; she had to cover her mouth to suppress the whimpers she emitted from watching the scene unfold. Several parts of her brain were arguing with what to do, leaving her frozen on the spot. Aside from being shocked and confused, she was angry and heartbroken at the same time. She was angry that the girls were beating on her older brother while he had little chance of fighting back, assuming they might be mad about his leadership as of late. But even then, she had to ask herself, _why?_ They were _family_ for crying out loud. Families were supposed to love and care for each other, even in the hardest of times. Were the girls that petty that they'd take it out on Ace?

Deuce involuntarily winced as each hard blow to her leader echoed across the room. Hot tears began to stream out her eyes as she could clearly hear her brother's pleas for the girls to stop fall on deaf ears. Her body shivered with each breath she took. If Deuce was strapped to a chair and forced to watch torturous TV programs, this would definitely be at the top of the list. Finally, after 5 agonizing minutes, the heroines let up. Ace was sprawled out on the floor, and to Lily, he looked as if he just got mauled by a lion. His costume was torn in various places, his eye mask was practically torn in two, one of his eyes was swollen shut along with his nose and mouth being bloody, his face had numerous bruises and cuts, and his chipped-tooth was jagged with a large piece missing off the right side. She wouldn't doubt it if her sisters broke a couple ribs.

The only thing Ace could do was let out small whimpers as he lied on the floor, the girls admiring their handy work. "If you just agreed with us Ace, it wouldn't have had to come to this." High Card stated. "We may not even need to blackmail you. Hopefully this will be a reminder that you shouldn't ever try being a hero from now on."

"Unless you want a repeat of your last beatdown." Night Club chuckled.

"So, what do we tell Deuce?" Lana asked.

"Fear not my plumbing companion. I'm sure she'll understand." Card Counter replied.

Deuce gritted her teeth, a fire burning in her eyes at what she just heard. Her hands curled into fists as she shook like a volcano about to blow its top. "Oh...I understand alright..." She muttered, putting on her gas mask.

It was quite obvious she'd need one for her line of work, or else she wouldn't be effective. Loading in four rounds, the 7 year old aimed at her sisters and pulled the trigger. The 9 heroines twisted their heads at the sound of something being fired, only to come face to face with a volley of green-colored rockets flying towards them. The RPGs exploded at their feet, releasing a green cloud that covered an area of 20 square feet. The girls gagged from the smell, their eyes watering as they their faces in an attempt to block out the smell. Ace was having a hard time breathing at this point. It was bad enough that he felt one of his ribs poking his lungs, and he certainly didn't want to breathe in crap air. Thankfully, someone put a mask on him, filtering out the toxic air.

"D...Deuce?..." Ace muttered.

"I got you big brother..." The grenadier stated.

Deuce had dropped down during the distraction and started to drag her brother to safety. One of the girls caught her leaving, but the 7 year old fired a second volley at them. With so much green gas filling the air, it provided the perfect cover to escape. Spotting a couple cards on the floor, Deuce grabbed them before taking her brother to the exit. It was rather slow going since Ace could barely walk, and the grenadier was barely strong enough to carry him. After clearing the entire shipping complex, Deuce found a small alley to hide in. Ace collapsed to his hands and knees as he removed the mask. His breaths were ragged as he fought to get clean air into his lungs. Deuce removed her mask and hugged her brother, only easing up a little when he started to groan in pain.

"I saw...I saw everything..." The blonde started. "I-I should've jumped in earlier to help, b-but I froze!..." Tears were creeping in her eyes again.

"H-Hey..." Ace replied weakly, wiping a tear from her face. "It's not your fault. If I-I was in your place, I might have..." He paused, a terrible feeling stirring in his chest. "I-I might-" He stopped as he started a massive coughing fit, spitting out blood in the process. Ace fell to his side, no longer having the energy to sit up.

Deuce scrambled to him quickly, growing fearful as his eyes began to close. "Ace?!" She shook him. "Lincoln?! Lincoln!" The boy heard her cry as he started losing consciousness.

"Lincoln?" A male voice replaced Lily's. Lincoln shot his eyes open, seeing nothing but the darkened pages of the Ace Savvy comic he was reading earlier. Moving the issue from his face, the boy squinted his eyes as the sunlight from the window made itself known.

"Clyde?" He looked up at the opened door.

"Hey, just checking on you. Looks like you fell asleep reading Ace Savvy."

"Yeah." Lincoln scratched his head. It wasn't the first time he fell asleep in that fashion. As his brain was wiring itself awake, he registered one question his best friend asked.

"So, you ready to speak with Dr. Lopez today?"

 **A/N: Once again, I'd like to thank you guys for your continued support. I wanted Lincoln's therapy session to occur on the anniversary of the story, but it's clear that it won't happen. But, that didn't mean I could make a super long chapter. I hope you guys enjoy the Ace Savvy dream Lincoln has. I think you can already tell it's probably going to be a reoccurring thing for him. A bit of a change from his usual nightmares, but I find the concept very interesting. So next time I update, we'll see what the good doctor can do to alleviate Lincoln's paranoia.**


	26. The Middle Child

**A/N: It's been a long time coming, so I hope you understand. With season 3 well underway, and having more and more nice moments going into the show, I have to constantly remind myself that this story is based around events that happened in Season 1 and early on in Season 2. Plus, writing two drama fics had starved me of making any fluff, so that's why I decided to ignite a story I was putting on hold until one of these two were finished.**

 **But, I thank you guys who have been _patient enough_ for the boy with a crazed fear to finally see a shrink about his problems. By no means will it be the last time Lincoln sees Dr. Lopez, as something like this can't be solved in one visit alone. It will break the ice though. Also, I've been deleting guest reviews begging me to update. _Don't make my decision to outright block them easier_...**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

Lincoln stared out the window of the van as Lynn Sr. drove them to Dr. Lopez's office. The parents already took the liberty of informing his teachers that Lincoln would be absent today due to a 'necessary doctor appointment'. Rita wished she could go with them, but Dr. Feinstein had some major dental appointments lined up today, and the Loud matriarch was gonna be needed to help administer some root canal procedures and help replace teeth. Speaking of teeth, Rita also made a note to have her boss take a look at Lincoln to make sure her son's teeth won't come in crooked due to their forced removal.

Lynn glanced at his son, noting his posture and the look of uncertainty he gave at the passing scenery. "Nervous sport?"

"Just a little..."

"Oh don't worry. Dr. Lopez is a nice lady, and it's not like she's gonna hurt you."

Lincoln shook his head. "It's not that I'm worried about Dr. Lopez." He turned to his dad. "Clyde talks about her enough that I _know_ she sounds cool, but...I'm not sure if I can trust whatever she might say since she had talks with..." He bit his lip. " _Them..._ "

Lynn sighed inwardly. Of course Lincoln would have issues trusting the word of another if they interacted with his sisters. As far as he knew, Lincoln only trusted his parents, closest friends, and Lily. "Well...have you thought about giving her an open book? I mean, she is a professional after all."

The boy stared at the floor. "...That's what she said I should do, even though it's hard..." Lincoln glanced back out the window. "...I honestly don't know what to think right now...I just freeze up whenever I see any of them besides Lily, yet Luan actually _helped_ me the other day..."

That was news to the patriarch. "What'd she do?"

"She saved me from getting my back crushed in a stampede. When I realized who she was...I thought...I thought she'd do something, anything, to hurt me. But she just stood there and did nothing..." Lincoln put a hand to his head. "Was I just imagining things? Or is there something I'm just not getting?..."

Lynn wanted to tell his son that he was overthinking it a bit, that his fear towards his sisters was just something in his mind that wasn't real. But, the realm of the human mind wasn't something he understood. Even if he gave his opinion, would Lincoln actually take that advice to heart? After all, it was just now that Lincoln was beginning to question his own fears, after a forced interaction no less. The parents told the girls to keep themselves scarce from him, but this might have only heightened the boy's anxiety given how he had a nightmare in the middle of school and broke down when Lola revealed Lincoln might've heard her.

"Well...that's why your seeing a therapist son. I honestly don't know what I could tell you, cause even I'm not sure if our solutions are the right way. You've talked with her on the phone before, so speaking in person shouldn't be that hard. Just tell her what's on your mind, and she'll offer you some kind of advice."

The white-haired child nodded, leaning against the door. As many times as Clyde visited Dr. Lopez, he sincerely hoped she gave some _really good_ advice.

* * *

Miranda sipped on her coffee as she stared out her open office window. It was a nice day outside (a warm 75 degrees) and since it wasn't exactly cold in the building, she didn't wear her scarf or coat. Today, she was anticipating the arrival of the Loud child whose fears were the center of concern for the family. The doctor looked over her notes she took on the other Louds a few times prior to build a picture of what Lincoln might be like. As with most kids, he'll probably be nervous, a little timid, and hesitant to recall the incident that brought him here in the first place. Not to mention, given their little phone session, his insecurities about his position in the family.

"Well, today is gonna be fun." Miranda half joked to herself. Clyde often spoke about how Lincoln was like the brother he never had, but that could mean a number of things. Either they had a lot of similarities, or were literal mirror images of each other. The Hispanic woman sincerely hoped it was the former; one Clyde was annoying enough...

A knock at the door half-startled her. Miranda swiveled her head just as a white-haired boy peeked inside. The doctor blinked in surprise; the Louds weren't kidding about Lincoln's hair color.

"Uh, hi. I'm guessing you're Dr. Lopez?"

"That I am." She fully turned around. "You must be Lincoln. Your family said a lot about you during their talks."

"Yeah..." Lincoln let himself in and shut the door. "I guess they did." He studied the doctor for a moment. "Wow. Clyde was nearly spot on when he mimicked your appearance weeks ago. "

Miranda raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"He wore everything you have on right now, including a scarf and jacket." The boy then gave a frown as he gazed at the floor. "Now I wish I just stayed at his house that whole weekend..."

 _"Not sure if I should be surprised or aghast..."_ The therapist thought to herself. "Alright Lincoln, take a seat there," She pointed at the lounge chair, "And we'll get you started."

The boy nodded before heading to his spot to lie down. Miranda stole a glance at his cast, feeling a little bit of pity for the young man. He didn't know how long this talk of theirs would take, or if it would even do him any good. His parents and even Clyde played up the good doctor as if she was some miracle worker. Miranda sure didn't seem to fit the part; just that of a regular middle aged person with a job telling people what certain thoughts mean and giving advice. There was also the fact Clyde's frequent visits, and that Lincoln was still uncertain about Miranda talking to his sisters, made him have his doubts.

Lincoln took a deep breath before exhaling. _"Keep an open mind Lincoln, like dad said..."_

Miranda set her coffee on the desk before fishing her notebook out of her desk drawer. She made her way over to her own chair, sitting cross-legged across from Lincoln. "So Lincoln, how have you been since you got out of the hospital?"

Lincoln pursed his lips. "If you want an honest answer...not so great..."

"I suppose it has to do with your nightmares?"

The boy nodded. "I thought that maybe after I got out the hospital, they would go away." He glanced at his left arm. "Guess it wasn't as simple as that..."

Miranda hummed as she wrote something down. "Do you feel they've gotten worse, or felt around the same?"

"...In some ways worse...though my dream last night was kinda weird."

"Care to explain?"

Lincoln stared at the ceiling. "So, a couple days ago, I had a horrible nightmare in which my sisters were sharks, and..." A chill went down his spine. "They ate me...and then I had another that wasn't as bad, but..." The words started to die in his throat. "J-Just give me a sec..." The Loud took a few deep breaths. "I h-had another in school where I was alone and they dragged me into the shadows...then last night, I had a dream where I was Ace Savvy and my sisters were all superheroes."

"Hmm, that does sound rather odd from the pattern you described. Do you know anything that might've inspired that change?"

Lincoln's cheeks reddened a little. "...I fell asleep reading Ace Savvy."

"Ah. So, what happened in this dream?"

"Myself and Lily were looking around for any crimes in the city, while my other sisters were following a lead on a villain named Card Shark. I know Lily is a baby, but in my dream she was about 7 years old. Then, we got a distress call from my sisters. They said they needed help despite the fact they were kinda upset at me on how we failed to bring justice to a couple villains." Lincoln gave a sad, half-lidded stare at the floor. "Turns out it was a trap and the girls beat me into the ground...it felt like a worse version of what happened to me a few weeks ago..."

"I see..." The doctor noted. "Did it end the same as your other dreams?"

The boy shook his head. "Surprisingly, it didn't. I passed out, and before it could go any further, Clyde woke me up." He scratched the area where his cowlick was. "I think it might be due to this weird debate I'm having in my head."

Miranda had a feeling on what it was about, but she had to be sure. Hopefully, it wasn't anything negative. "Was there some kind of reaction that sparked this conflict within yourself?"

The 11 year old glanced out the window. "...Luan helped me after I almost had my back crushed by a group of students. I don't get why though...I thought none of them would really care and prefer to see me hurt...maybe it's just Luan or it's something else, I'm just not sure."

 _"So he isn't too far gone then. Guess this won't be as difficult as I imagined."_ Miranda wrote as a thought before shifting her position a little. "Now Lincoln, I'm gonna ask you a couple things about your personal life. Some of which I already know of during our phone sessions, but I just want to be sure if anything changed since then. Now, everything we talk about in here can be just kept between us, or if you feel the need to, you can make use of this information however you see fit. I haven't told your family about what your nightmares entail by the way."

"Ok, I guess?" Lincoln replied as he sat up, his legs hanging over the side of the seat.

"Now, before all of this happened, how would you describe your home life? You can talk about your hobbies, your family, any activities you tend to do. I'm just trying to build a picture here."

Lincoln gave a low sigh as he searched his memories of how home was before the whole Sister Fight Protocol scenario came up. Contrary to what most may think, despite being heavily traumatized by the beating he received, some happy memories still resided in his brain; buried under a large pile of past nightmares and his ever growing anxiety. It took Lincoln a few minutes to dig them up, as such memories were becoming a bit scarce.

"Before all of this happened, I guess I could say that being at home was, normal? Normal as it could be for a large family, that is. Most days I would go to school, hang out with Clyde or my other friends, read Ace Savvy or play videogames if I was at home." Lincoln paused. "And spend a lot of time helping my sisters..."

"Did you have any sort of passion or hobby that you usually did?"

The 11 year old pursed his lips again. "If I had to be honest, I think helping my sisters _was_ my passion. They always came to me for advice or help if they needed something. Well, my younger sisters usually, but sometimes the older ones did too." Lincoln began counting on his fingers. "Lori on the off chance wants my opinion on something, or at least wants me to do a favor for her. Leni wants me to model for her, Luan always wants to test her jokes on me, Lisa always needs an assistant for her weird experiments, I'd sometimes jam with Luna when she makes a new song too." He took a short pause. "Then there's Lynn who wants me as her sports partner, or training dummy in some cases...and Lola and Lana want me for either tea parties or to watch her pets. Lucy always comes to me for poem advice, and lastly, Lily either wants to be changed or play around."

Miranda looked at a list she compiled when she asked the girls about what Lincoln usually helped them with, noting how they matched up. "For someone with 10 sisters, I'm surprised you manage to find time to help them all."

"Well, it's more complicated than that. Sometimes I do try to be there for them, while other times they just drag me into their stuff without asking me first..."

"Has this often interfered with something you wanted to do?"

The 11 year old nodded. "More than once. I even tried ignoring them one day when I just wanted some peace and quiet." He gave a small frown. "Let's just say it's something I'll never do again..."

"Interesting." The doctor stated. "But, in general, was your relationship with your siblings positive?"

Part of Lincoln wanted to say he did, while the other half was saying the opposite. He did have some fun memories with his sisters, but he also had some bad moments that were almost as equal as the good ones. Recent events also seemed to make those pleasant memories carry less weight than they normally would have. A few times, he had opened his mouth as if he was about to speak, only for the words to dissolve into nothing but hot air.

Seeing him hesitating, Miranda continued. "Lincoln, given what we've talked about during our last chat, how do you view yourself in regards to your family?"

Lincoln gripped the side of the chair as he felt another wave of depression hit him. "...I feel like I was probably some mistake..."

"And what brings out this feeling in you?"

"All of my sisters have some special talent that makes them stand out, while I just sit in the back to cheer them on..." He blinked, letting a stray tear run free. "All of them, and yes even Lily, have won some award in one way or another; any time I've tried it hasn't worked. The one time I was close to getting one, I had to give it up because I had embarrassed my sisters to get to it. Sure, they gave me a cardboard trophy for ' _Most Improved Brother'_ , but did I actually get better after that?..." Lincoln took a deep breath through his nose. "Can't say I did..."

Miranda tapped her pen against the paper of her notebook. _"And it seems Luna was dead on with her assumption."_ She circled that old statement. "But, just a minute ago, you said that your hobby was helping your sisters. Did you feel as if you were losing something important to you?"

Lincoln nodded. "To me...it felt like the girls had finally gotten to the point they didn't need me anymore. I don't solve _all_ of their fights, but I believed it was probably the one thing I was good at; just being there for my sisters." Lincoln pulled his legs up to sit cross legged on the chair. "That's part of the reason why I wanted to get involved. They kept telling me I wouldn't understand, and that it was a," He quoted on his fingers, " _sister thing,_ but I don't see what was so hard about solving a little issue around a dress."

 _"Similar case to Lori's issue."_ The psychologist wrote down.

Lincoln folded his arms, gripping his shoulder as that fateful Sunday came to the front of his mind. "But if I knew what was gonna happen when I did get involved...I wouldn't have done anything..."

Flipping over a couple pages, Miranda found the notes she made when Lincoln talked with her a week ago. She skimmed to the part where he talked about his nightmares. She glanced back up at Lincoln, who was rocking back and forth on his seat. "Do you still believe your sisters are out to get you? Or has your viewpoint on this changed?"

"I...I still do think they are trying to get me...but...I'm just unsure of why they haven't done anything yet..."

"Ok." Miranda closed her book. "Now, this is gonna be treading some rough territory, so please bear with me on this Lincoln. During the scuffle with your sisters, did something happen _during the fight_ that made you believe that your siblings were trying to kill you?"

Lincoln's eyes began to fill with tears, his lip quivering as sobs built up in his throat. His breaths were a little uneven, each sniffle he took reaching every corner of the room. The boy shut his eyes as he silently cried to himself, his hand moving up to grab a wad of white hair. Every time he thought about the fight, nothing but dread and anguish filled every part of his being. The 11 year old couldn't recall anything important that happened during the brawl; he could hardly see with all the arms, hands, and feet flying everywhere. Even if he opened his eyes for one second, the only thing he'd ever see was a fist filled with hate mere inches from it. Probably the only saving grace from the fight was that the girls were too busy kicking his ass to berate him even further.

"All I knew...was pain..." Lincoln's voice was a low whisper. "J-Just...pain..."

Miranda glanced off to the side before setting her book on a nearby table and getting out of her seat. Just like she did with Lisa, the doctor sat next to the sniveling boy and put a comforting arm around him. Lincoln flinched from the sudden contact, but instinctively leaned into her, as if Dr. Lopez was his own mother.

"I-If one of them m-managed to reach my neck...t-they could've killed me and not realize it..." Lincoln rubbed his nose, taking a moment to glance at his snot before wiping it on his shirt. "...Those few minutes, hours, I don't know...but it reminded me of how much of a screw-up I was for the family..." He moved his hand down to the seat, noticing he had pulled a few strands of hair off. "My first nightmare involved being back at the house, and my sisters were all demons about to finish what they started...and over that first week alone, it just kept getting worse..."

"In retrospect...what's the worst nightmare you've had?"

Lincoln stared at the floor. "...I would say it was...it was the one I had the same day we talked. I-It was about the time I humiliated my sisters to try and win a video contest, except they all tried to kill me for embarrassing them. I managed to evade them for a while...but in the end, Lisa turned one of my t-toys into a killer robot and it ate me..." He stayed silent for a moment. "That one alone was bad, but the _worst_ one happened a couple days into my stay at the hospital..."

Miranda raised an eyebrow as she grabbed a tissue box. She took a few out and held it to Lincoln's nose. The boy blew into it, clearing out his agitated sinuses. The doctor balled the wad of tissue and threw it into her waste bin.

"One night I had been wondering, what if I was more like my sisters?...Maybe then we wouldn't have had that fight i-if I was a girl. At least, that's what I originally thought..." A cold sensation flowed through Lincoln's body as he vividly recalled his terrible dream. "Lisa had heard that I wanted to be turned into a girl, and our sisters agreed to help her. I thought she had some weird ray gun or something that could easily change me. But what she had in mind was _much, much worse..._ " The boy paused to gather his thoughts. "S-She strapped me to a table and...she and the girls operated on me. T-They cut off my wiener and those round things under it...then they forcibly cut a large hole where my wiener used to be and stuck something inside it..." Lincoln bit his lip, blinking away some small tears. "The worst part of it was that I could feel _everything_ they did to me. By the end of it, Lisa claimed her 'operation' was successful, even though I was dead from losing too much blood...I was lucky to still have a tube attached, because I think I would've wet myself otherwise..."

To say Miranda was visibly shocked would be an understatement. Her mind was still debating on whether what she heard was true, as well as wondering what other sick nightmares had Lincoln experienced since he first came to fear his siblings. Realizing she was staring off into space, the doctor brought herself back to reality. "Do you get nightmares like that every night?..."

Lincoln shook his head. "It's not every night...probably a couple days go by before I get another one..."

"In these dreams of yours," Miranda temporarily removed her glasses to clean them, "Do you think your siblings are actually capable of doing such things?"

"...I believe they are in some cases. I mean, I guess it is kinda crazy that Lisa would turn my sisters into sharks or even mess with Bun Bun without my parents permission. But that hasn't stopped her from doing crazy experiments before..." Lincoln grabbed another tissue to clean his nose. A sloppy wet sound was produced as he emptied more snot into the cotton cloth. He had long since stopped crying, his eyes being red and puffy. "I'm very nervous at school cause five of my sisters go there, but they haven't done anything even though I had a nightmare where they caught me by myself..."

"So, are you beginning to see the difference between reality and a dreamscape?"

"..." In all honesty, Lincoln still believed that what happened in his dream could become a real thing if he wasn't careful. Yet, there's been a few times in the past where he let his imagination get the best of him and made him miss out on some fun times; in this case, it's taking a toll on his sleep schedule.

Miranda shifted a bit so there was a small space between them. "You see Lincoln...what you're experiencing in your dreams, and what you see in real life, are two different aspects. The sisters you see in your dreams are based around your fears of being near them, as they remind you of what they can do if you upset them. And from what I can gather as to why you think they want to end you, part of it stems from your own insecurities about your place in the family. You feel as though they might be better off without you, yet you want to prove you can be of some use. You telling me that you felt you were losing your place in the family as 'the mediator' was a good example of that. As for the other part...do you think your sisters are a tad overly aggressive?"

"Sometimes..." Lincoln looked towards his therapist. "Lola, Lynn, and even Luna on a few occasions can prove that. I wouldn't say it takes a lot to upset them, I just think I ended up pushing the wrong buttons..."

"I see. Now, let me ask you another question Lincoln: do you know what it means to be blinded by emotion?"

The Loud boy pursed his lips as he scratched an itch behind his ear. "I believe I know it has something to do with not seeing clearly."

"Well, you're very close." Miranda leaned back on the chair. "When one is blinded by their emotions, it can cause them to act irrationally and see things a certain way that may or may not be true. I'm not saying your fear towards your sisters is irrational, but it's essentially creating a tunnel in which you can only see one point of view and stick with it."

"So, you're saying that I can't see the whole picture?"

"Yes."

Considering how little he's seen his sisters, and Luan's reaction when they met in the hallway, there was definitely something going on that Lincoln wasn't seeing. Thinking all the way back to when he smacked Lynn with his food tray, she ran out the room crying instead of attacking him. And just before he passed out after seeing all of his sisters together in his hospital room, he could've sworn he heard the familiar sounds of his sisters crying.

Lincoln glanced at his arm. Most of his injuries had healed except that one (understandably, it's a large limb and was literally broken), but Lynn claimed responsibility and apologized for it. "How...how can I see what's really going on with my sisters?"

"Simplest advice I can give is to keep an open mind. Fear can be both rational and irrational. You'd be afraid of a rattlesnake or black widow because their venom can cause harm to you. You'd even be afraid of someone if they were holding a knife to you; well, unless you're Chuck Norris, Jason Statham, Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, or Dwayne Johnson." Lincoln gave a confused look at Miranda, making her cheeks flush red. "S-Sorry, I was getting off topic. But at the same time, you might be afraid of a different snake even though it's completely harmless. Same can apply to a human being who you know has a tough exterior, but is usually nice; all of which is possibly based on a past experience. However, that is still up for you to decide."

Lincoln blinked before shifting his gaze to the wall opposite of them. "I guess it is...dad told me to keep an open mind when it came to speaking with you, and he was right. I didn't really take your advice earlier," He looked back towards Miranda, "But I will now."

The Hispanic woman got off the chair, heading to her desk. "This probably isn't my place to tell you, but your sisters do care about you Lincoln. They want nothing more than for you to return to your normal self, and they are even trying to fix problems they didn't know they had, or were aware of but didn't know how."

"If that's true...how am I supposed to talk with them if I keep freezing up whenever I hear or see them?"

The doctor gave a short laugh. "We're in the 21st century Lincoln. There are many ways to reach out to someone."

"True..." Lincoln got out of the chair. "Guess I really have a lot to think about. But thank you very much Ms. Lopez. I can see why Clyde visits you frequently."

"In my opinion, I think you're a much better patient than Clyde (no offense to him). But do let me know if you wish to talk again."

Lincoln nodded before walking out of her office. Many thoughts ran threw his mind like a bullet train. That talk was a lot more insightful than he initially let on, and the Loud felt it probably wouldn't be the last time he spoke to Dr. Lopez. His sisters, his fears, his own insecurities...it was a lot to take in, and was starting to form into a small migraine. As soon as he reached the lobby, Lynn Sr. nearly jumped out of his seat. The father noticed Lincoln's eyes looked a bit red, no doubt from shedding a couple tears.

"So sport...how'd it go?"

"It was, interesting."

* * *

Lincoln's eyes were closed as he dosed off in the car. He figured it might be a good idea to sleep on these thoughts he had piled up. Plus, he was already feeling drowsy. As he breathed steadily, he started to feel as if something was pressed against his chest. That feeling got tighter to the point he started coughing. Opening his eyes, Lincoln found himself staring at the ceiling of what appeared to be a large cave. Great. He couldn't even tell what time it was. He tried to sit up, but immediately thought against that idea as it hurt to move. Glancing down at his body, the white-headed boy saw bandages wrapped around his chest along with a full cast on his left arm. To his right, there was a bag of blood that was suspended on a utility pole. Blood flowed from the bag and into his side.

Lincoln wondered what on earth happened that left him in such a bad state, and that's when he saw it; his Ace Savvy uniform was folded up in a chair not too far away. Next to the chair sat a four-tubed rocket launcher with a purple camouflaged hat and combat boots lying next to it. The events of the last few hours came at him like a train going through a semi: his teammates lured him into a trap and beat him to near death, then Deuce came and saved him. But where was she? And how did she manage to get him help?

A farting sound cut through the room. Lincoln looked past his arm cast to see what he assumed was a bathroom. Small, feminine and childish grunts came from behind the door. Another loud fart sounded, though it also sounded like something came out with it.

"Ahh...poo poo..." Came a voice Lincoln recognized all too well. The toilet flushed and soon, Lily pushed the door open. She quickly shut it to prevent the smell from getting out. "Don't go in there for a while." She giggled to herself. Her sight focused on Lincoln, and to her surprise, their gazes met.

"Lincoln!" Lily gasped before quickly running to her brother's bedside. "Are you ok? Does anything hurt? How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Lily-"

"What's your temperature? Does your arm hurt? Need me to fluff your pillow?"

The older Loud did his best to avoid rolling his eyes. Whenever someone on the team was injured in a fight, Leni and Lily would play nurse until the person in question returned back to their normal health. Sometimes though, they could go a _tad_ overboard.

"Lily..." Lincoln spoke with a frown.

"Oh, those good for nothing girls! If I wasn't outnumbered 4 to 1, I'd shove a gas grenade so far up their-"

"Lily!" Lincoln spoke louder with slight irritation.

The blonde recoiled a bit at the yell, backing up a little at realizing she irritated him. "Sorry..." She gazed at the floor.

Lincoln stayed silent. He didn't mean to yell, but he needed Lily to calm down. "Come here..." He reached out with his good arm the best he could. Lily walked up to the boy and hugged him, making sure to avoid his sensitive areas. The both released each other after a minute. "What happened after I passed out?"

"Well..." Lily's cheeks became a faint red. "I started to panic cause I thought you d-died...but then Clyde showed up and I told him what happened. So, he led us here and I had been waiting for you to wake up since last night." The little girl gave a small yawn. "I didn't really sleep much..."

To be fair, Lincoln did die for a few minutes, but Lily didn't need to know that. "Wait, _Clyde?!_ Where is he?"

Lily shrugged. "He said he'd be right back, but that was 3 hours ago."

The Louds suddenly heard a set of footsteps from just beyond the door. With Lincoln in no condition to fight, Lily was the only person that stood between him and anyone who intended to do him harm; she wasn't about to let someone else do her brother in like her sisters nearly did. The blonde went for her launcher and aimed it at the door. Tense seconds passed before the tumbler of the knob turned and the door was pushed open; Lily's finger poised on the trigger if it was a hostile. Fortunately, it was a friend. With his One-Eyed Jack costume on, Clyde pushed the door fully open.

"Hey Lily, I'm back and-" Clyde started as he took out a small bag. He paused upon noticing Lincoln. "Oh hey buddy! Glad you made it back to us. You were passed out for the entire day. How do you feel?"

"Like I got my butt kicked by nine girls. .." Lincoln shifted in the bed as he tried to sit up. "How did you find us?"

Lily looked at her brother and noticed the way he was straining his neck to look at Clyde. "Hang on." She reached under the frame and grabbed a switch that was wired to the bed. The back half moved up, greatly helping Lincoln's field of view.

"Huh, didn't think it was _that_ kind of bed."

"Well, I didn't know you two built a secret man-cave." Lily replied, putting her launcher on the floor.

"Anyway," Clyde got their attention. "Your card dropped, so I figured you might've been in trouble. I was heading to the shipyard when I saw you guys in an alley. You looked about ready to keel over, and I came down right as you passed out. At first, I didn't believe what Lily told me for a minute, but then she threatened to gas me."

"And again, why would this be something I'd lie about?!" The 7 year old asked heatedly.

"Well sorry! It's not every day your long time friends suddenly turn on you, you know." The nerdy kid retorted.

"So what's in the bag?" Lincoln asked.

"Just something I had to pick up." Clyde bent down and fished through it, taking out a syringe with a strange, red-colored liquid in it. "I snuck to our base, well... _former_ base technically, and managed to nab a few things. It wasn't easy getting in, cause I think your sisters changed the security codes. Anyway, I went into Card Counter's lab since I remember her saying she was working on some healing medication that should get rid of _any_ serious injuries within seconds! So, I poked around and found this." He shook the syringe in his hand.

Lincoln didn't look as convinced. "Are you sure you grabbed the right one? Cause I know CC has a lot of stuff in her lab."

"Yeah. How do we know it's not poison?" Lily asked, scanning Clyde like a hawk.

Clyde looked at the syringe. "Well, she at least remembered to label it."

Lily walked over to Clyde and snatched it from him. Rotating it in her hand, she spotted the label the older boy mentioned. Instead of the childish writing she might have expected, the label looked like it was printed straight from a computer. The 7 year old squeezed a little out of the tube and onto her digit, bringing it to her mouth for a taste test. The blonde cringed almost immediately, her tongue sticking out in disgust. "Yuck! It tastes bitter."

"Well, it's supposed to go in someone's arm, not their mouth..." Clyde stated in a deadpanned tone.

Lily started to wipe her tongue with her finger. "How do we know if it'll work? Card Counter probably hasn't tested it yet."

The African American folded his arms, his brows furrowing in irritation. "It was hard enough getting that without getting caught, so I'm definitely not going back to ask her." His look softened a bit. "Not only that...I heard bits and pieces of your sisters talking. They aren't too happy with how you guys got away, and a few are calling you a traitor Lily."

The 7 year old's gaze darkened as she stared at the floor. "As far as I'm concerned..." She tossed the syringe back to Clyde. "The only family I have right now, is Lincoln..." She brushed past Clyde and out the door, which appeared to have led into a hallway.

Clyde blinked in astonishment. "Ooookaaay..." He slowly turned to Lincoln. "Pardon me asking, but why is Lily so...not Lily? I've never seen her this angry before." The boy walked over to Lincoln's right side, putting on a latex glove.

"She just witnessed her sisters attack me Clyde." Lincoln replied, looking at the open door. "I don't blame her though. If she was in my position, I'd be the same as her, if not worse..."

"I can understand that." Clyde flicked the needle, a small amount of the mysterious liquid flying out. "Sadly, I don't have any siblings. So I'll never know that feeling..."

"Clyde..." The white-haired child put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "You're like the brother I've always wanted. As far as I know, you're pretty much family." He smiled warmly.

Clyde smiled back. "Thanks bro. Now," He prepped the syringe in his fingers. "Are you sure you wanna take this? Cause I don't wanna be the one who accidentally poisons you or something..."

Lincoln bit his lip. "Only way to find out."

Both boys crossed their fingers as Clyde injected Lincoln with the liquid. At first, Lincoln didn't feel much; aside from something shooting into his right arm. Then, a wave of warmth suddenly washed over his body, like he was chilling outside on a spring day with a cool breeze hitting his face. Some popping sounds were heard as Lincoln felt his bones correcting themselves, most notably in his left arm and chest. Clyde bit his lower lip, thinking Lincoln might explode. However, upon seeing Lincoln move his arm a bit without any pain, he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Lincoln sat up on his own and took his arm cast off. Both boys were surprised that his arm looked like it was good as new; upon removing the bandages on his chest, no bruising or evidence of injury were noticeable.

"So...h-how do you feel?" Clyde asked, sweat dripping down his forehead.

"My arm feels a little sore, but other than that, I feel good as new!" Lincoln smiled, removing the blood connector from his side.

"You sure? You don't feel like you're growing an extra limb or anything weird?" Jack persisted.

Lincoln sat silently for a moment. He swung his legs out a bit, waiting for something to happen. "Hmmm...nope. Nothing. Guess CC finally made something without any side effects."

"Phew..." Clyde wiped his forehead. "So, what do we do now? It's not like you can just go back home, and I'm fairly certain the girls would force me to reveal where you guys are..."

Lincoln gave a heavy sigh. "Honestly Clyde...I don't know. I'm still trying to get over the whole betrayal myself, and it made me think that..." He paused, rubbing his left arm. "Maybe the girls were right...they managed to do something that was taking me _weeks_ to do, and they beat me to the punch, _literally._ I really am a terrible leader..."

Clyde stared at Lincoln for a few seconds before slapping. The white-haired child sat in shock before rubbing his cheek. "What was _that_ for?!"

"Sorry, that was to try and get you back to your old self. Also, that sounded completely ridiculous. The Ace Savvy I know wouldn't just give up like that. I mean...sure it's hard to deal with the fact there's just the 3 of us. And we can't go back to our old home and probably have to live in our secret cave. And we'll probably have to wear disguises out in public..."

"Thanks for pointing that out..." Lincoln responded dryly.

Clyde twiddled his fingers. "Sorry...but point is," He walked over to a nearby table, grabbing a couple cards off it. "We still have each other." The African American passed the cards to Lincoln. Looking down, the Loud boy saw that they were the only 3 cards Lily managed to snag after Eight of Spades destroyed his belt. Aside from having Deuce and One-Eyed Jack in the mix, there was also one other person in there as well. However, this person rarely came on missions due to being busy with her own work.

"We're in this together Lincoln. And unlike your sisters, we'd never abandon you. You're not gonna really stop fighting crime, are you?"

Lincoln looked between Clyde and his cards. He gripped them hard as a look of determination formed on his face. "Never..."

"Then who are you?" The boy asked with a smug grin.

"Ace Savvy..."

"Sorry, I couldn't hear you." Clyde put a hand to his ear. "What was that?"

Lincoln bit his lip as he furrowed his brows. "I'm Ace Savvy!..."

"Still couldn't hear you~" The nerdy child spoke in a sing-song tone.

The white-haired child stood up on the bed. "I'm Ace Savvy! The savviest crime fighter ever, and nothing is gonna bring me down as long as I have my friends by my side!" He proclaimed to the ceiling.

Clyde folded his arms. "That's more like it. So, what's the plan?"

Lincoln got off the bed, folding his arms behind his back as he began to pace around the room. "First thing we need to do is put together an entirely different team. Not sure if my sisters will still be in the crime fighting game (they could be villains for all we know), but they still outnumber us nearly 3 to one. But, I know someone who may be willing to help."

"Who?"

Lincoln took out one of the cards and showed it to Clyde. The boy's eyes nearly bugged out of his glasses. " _Her?!_ Lincoln, you know she's a bit of a loose cannon. _And she kills people._ Why her?"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures. Plus, when she does find out what happened, I'm gonna have to keep a leash on her." Lincoln breathed deep through his nose. "She'd kill _me_ if she heard me say that..."

"Ok...but how do you know her that well?" Clyde gave an incredulous look at his friend.

"You'll find out soon. But first, I gotta call her." Lincoln patted his sides, only realizing he had been in his underwear the entire time. The boy's cheeks flushed red. "A-After I put some clothes on." He smiled sheepishly, causing Clyde to laugh.

From the door, Lily had been silently watching the two ever since she heard Lincoln yelling. She gave a sad sigh. "I hope mom and dad are watching from above..."

* * *

Elsewhere in Royal Woods, a man could be seen running through the dark streets. He kept frantically looking behind him as if he was being pursued. A small, shadowy figure was hopping across rooftops, their eyes locked onto their prey like an owl to a mouse. The man turned a corner into a dark alley and had his back pressed to the wall. He took several deep breaths to calm his rapidly beating heart, stilling his breathing as a shadow appeared at the entrance of the alley. The person stayed at the entrance for a few seconds before continuing on; the man gave a sigh of relief when he appeared to be in the clear. However, right as he was about to walk out of the alley, a shot rang out into the night; the man tumbled over and screamed in agony as a bullet buried itself in the back of his knee.

"Did you think I'd give up that easily?" A taunting voice spoke from the dark corners of the alley. It was young and sounded feminine.

"Look, please! I didn't want to kill that family! I swear!" The man pleaded.

"And Lady Ace-sassin doesn't want to miss a target." Came the harsh reply.

The person stepped out into what little moonlight there was, a glock-19 held firmly in it's hand. The shooter in question was a girl who looked to be the age of 11. She was tan-skinned with black hair that was tied in a ponytail; her hair reaching down the middle of her back. Her attire was card themed, looking almost similar to the outfit Ace Savvy himself wore. She was adorned with a red shirt that had a black heart symbol on the front along with similar colored boots with the same symbol. On the back of the shirt, the initials L. A. were inscribed in bold black lettering. She also wore blue shorts with matching forearm shields, and her mask was a plastic see-through upside down heart that covered her eyes and much of her forehead.

"Sure you didn't. It's not like you _purposely_ didn't mean to kill them in their sleep, _including the babies..._ " The girl spoke sarcastically, venom lacing her words at the last part.

Seeing his façade didn't work, the man gritted his teeth. "Now listen here you little brat! I have contacts that are way bigger than you'd think! Once they find out I'm dead, they'll be coming for you!"

The girl snorted under her breath. She shot the other man's knee, making him howl with pain. She took aim at his forehead. "That threat gonna come from beyond the grave?"

The man didn't give a reply as he stared at the barrel of the gun. Right as the girl was about to pull the trigger, her pocket buzzed. Looking down, she reached into it and pulled out a phone. The girl knitted her brows as she recognized the number. She put a finger up. "Give me a sec." The 11 year old put the phone to her ear. "This better be good, Lame-O..."

 _"Sorry to call you Ace-sassin, but this is kinda important."_

"Well, what is it? I'm _kinda_ busy with something right now." Lady Ace turned away from her target, who was still withering on the ground in pain.

 _"...Me and my team had a serious falling out, and they pretty much tried to force me out of the crime fighting business..."_ Lincoln spoke in a somber tone.

Lady Ace's look softened a bit. "What happened?..."

"Let's just say..." Lincoln paused, unsure of how to word it. "All of them besides Deuce and Jack nearly beat me to death over a dispute, and now we're in hiding." He smiled nervously.

"WHAT?!" Lady Ace shouted into her phone, nearly making Lincoln drop his in the process. "Where are they?! I'm gonna put a bullet in each and every one of their skulls!"

 _"L-Look Ace-sassin, please don't go after them by yourself! It's too dangerous!"_

Lady Ace gritted her teeth as her phone shook with the tense rage built up inside her. Seeing her distracted, the man tried to crawl away, only for Ace-sassin to plant a bullet in his skull without even looking.

 _"What was that?..."_ Lincoln asked in concern.

"That, was target practice for when I hunt the Full House down..."

 _"Lady Ace, please! Don't go after them! Not like this. Look, we'll deal with them later, but just come to these coordinates._ Pleease?..." Lincoln begged.

Lady Ace breathed deeply for a few minutes. She looked at the freshly-made corpse and glanced down at her gun. She shut her eyes tight before expelling a heavy sigh. "Fine..." The girl put her gun away. "But only because your my boyfriend..." The assassin hung up the phone. She dug into her pocket and left a little calling card before disappearing into the darkness.

Lincoln breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought she wouldn't agree. I know she can handle herself, but against the entire Full House?..."

Clyde blinked in surprise. "Uh...did she just say you were-?"

"It's a long story..." Lincoln let out a nervous laugh as he scratched his head.

 **A/N: The construction materials for rebuilding the bridge between relations has been ordered, but time will tell if they will make it to their destination to be built. Now, Lincoln has a better understanding on his fears and is just about willing to try to look past the wall he's set around himself. But, it's still the question of whose going to make the first move.**

 **There are plenty of drawings about a Full House version of Ronnie Anne, but the version of Lady Ace I'm using belongs to DaveDwantaraC on Deviant Art. I thank the fact he started a comic called _A Pair of Aces_ (which I hope he gets back to at some point). In his version, Ronnie Anne is more of an anti-hero and uses firearms, making her one of those characters whose willing to put someone down permanently than just putting them in the jail house. Dave didn't mind me using her, and she has an interesting dynamic with Ace. Still, Ace is definitely gonna have to find some new allies if he wants to be able to take on the Full House.**


	27. Attempting To Move On

**A/N: After taking a month long hiatus to get some things sorted out, I'm finally back into my groove of writing. Thank you all for being so patient. Now then, after visiting Dr. Lopez for the first time, Lincoln may truly start to question his own phobia. As stated many times before, communication would be the first vita step towards reconciliation. How that will work, is up for Lincoln himself to decide.**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

Lynn Sr. returned home shortly after dropping his son at the McBride residence. Stepping out of the van, his eyes scanned over the yard, noting how clean it was. The last time Lynn saw his front lawn in such a state was before Lynn Jr. was born. By then, Lori and Leni knew how to ride a bike; but as it became clear they would continue to have more kids, the parents became pretty lax about their children leaving their toys in the yard. As long as they knew where it was, there wouldn't be any problems. Now...just about all of the girl's favorite hobbies had been locked into a storage unit. And along with a clean lawn, came the unending silence.

Since it was still a regular school day, the patriarch knew his daughters would be away until the afternoon. That was particularly good for Lynn since he didn't want to be bombarded with questions about Lincoln's session as soon as he walked in the door. Still, not a day went by that Lynn didn't feel a little awkward coming home. Although the sisters had been more talkative lately, the father could tell they still weren't themselves. Why would they be? Everyone was still reeling after Lincoln's hospitalization and subsequent phobia after all. It's not like this was a problem that could be easily fixed. And to add onto that plate, each of the Louds had a personal demon they hadn't mentioned to anyone until sitting with a therapist.

A heavy sigh escaped the patriarch as he shut the van door and walked to the house. _"What has my family become?..."_ He moaned to himself.

Lynn opened the door to find his wife lying on the couch, watching the TV with a half-lidded stare. Lily was on the floor, chewing on her teething ring. The mother made sure to keep her within her perifrial vision in case the baby wondered off.

Rita glanced away from the TV after noticing the door open. "Hey honey." She sat up. "So, how'd it go?"

"He said it was 'interesting', but Lincoln didn't say much else about it." Lynn walked over to the couch, sitting down next to his wife. "Guess our son has a lot to think about."

Rita raised an eyebrow. "How was he this morning?"

"Nervous, unsure of how it would go." Lynn felt something tap his foot. Looking down, Charles lied on his side as he waited to be petted. Rolling his eyes a little, the father used his feet to lightly rub the little dog's belly. "When he came out, he looked a little better; but I guess you could say he was conflicted? He fell asleep on the way back and stayed like that until I dropped him off at the McBride's." Lynn leaned back into the seat. "Guess we'll just have to wait and see what Lincoln will do..."

There was a pause between them, the show on the TV filling the void temporarily. Rita looked back towards the TV while Lynn stared up at the ceiling. "Do you think we're doing the right thing Rita?"

The matriarch shifted her focus back to him. "What do you mean?"

"It hasn't felt like home since all of this started. Sure, the girls are being more out and about after talking to Dr. Lopez, but I can tell they're still all tense and whatnot whenever I see them in the upstairs hallway. It was one thing to punish them for beating up Lincoln the way they did, but then to find out that _all_ of our daughters have serious personal issues? And that Lincoln probably has more problems that being afraid of the girls?..." Lynn rubbed pinched the bridge between his eyes. "I know we talked about this before, but I still feel like this is entirely our fault..."

"You aren't the only one Lynn. I still feel like I shouldn't have signed Lola into those pageants 2 years ago. If I didn't, she might be a bit nicer. But then, I wouldn't know the daughter I have now. And, there's the fact we always leave Lori in charge of everything when we're not around. We've done it so many times over the years thinking she could handle it, not knowing that it actually stressing her out. I don't want to have to do it, but we gotta work those long hours so we can support all of our kids." Rita folded her arms. "I hate that we literally made Lori grow up faster than she needed to...and even worse, we've been out of the game for so long we proved that we're next to useless when it comes to the kids arguing."

Lynn nodded. "Given how we can barely keep Lana and Lola from fighting each other, we were practically deadbeats when the girls came up with their own system. And that brings me to another thing..." He shifted his body so that he was facing Rita. "Do you think I should cut down on their punishments?"

Rita rapped her fingers on her shoulder. "I...I guess? I mean, the reason you gave back Lucy's poetry book was because it's an outlet for her depression."

"Its also because it was clear she was suffering from it. I just don't want the others to end up like her. I mean, when I think about it, it's possible their hobbies are also ways to let out their frustration." The father started counting his fingers. "Luna had music, Lynn had her sports or workout equipment, Leni focused on making a dress out of stuff in the house to keep herself happy sometimes, Lori was always on her phone when she needs to vent, Luan..." He paused. "I'm not sure if comedy is exactly an outlet, but given how she gets on April Fools Day, I'm willing to say it is. And that's just the teens."

"So, it feels like we're punishing the girls twice as hard than necessary." Rita surmised, to which her husband nodded.

The blonde pursed her lips in thought. On one hand, the girls fully deserved the punishments each sibling received. You couldn't get away with putting one of your own in the hospital and not expect to receive your comeuppance. That'd be like running a car off the road then driving away, thinking no one would remember your car model and license plates.

On the other, it was clear since the very beginning that the gravity of the situation had taken its toll on the girls. Occasionally, the girls would find a way to hope for things to get better. But almost each time their mood began to improve, that feeling was harshly ripped away from them due to an unforeseen revelation. Such was the case when discovering Lincoln's phobia. Along with having their hobbies denied to them, it was so quiet in the house you could actually hear footsteps from the second floor from outside. It's like being in a ghost town, except the inhabitants are still there.

Before having therapy, the girls were essentially husks of their former selves; well, besides Lucy (she just got worse). No one said a word to each other outside of small chat. The girls even shied away from their parents more than usual, not wanting to draw their ire. After having her own session with Miranda, Rita was also hoping the girls' grades hadn't been suffering due to their moods. The family had gotten better over the past week, but that depression was still there. As long as Lincoln remained fearful of his siblings, things would never go back to normal (if at all).

"We should dial it back some...but even if that happens, will they ever return to being themselves? I remember you said that Lola can't act like a princess anymore on top of no longer attending pageants. Apparently, she was so angry at herself that she refused to look at _any_ mirrors. I had to help her get ready for school several times because she couldn't properly groom herself. Now, Lola has gotten better since therapy; but sometimes I can see her just staring at her reflection, almost to the point she wants to punch the mirror."

Lynn frowned a bit, casting a side glance at the floor. "I doubt anyone will be themselves until Lincoln comes home, honey. All we can do right now is try to ease the pain and hope for the best."

A barking sound momentarily grabbed Rita's attention. Looking at the floor, she spotted Lily playing around with Charles. Well, more like Lily was chasing after Charles with an irate look on her face since the dog walked off with her teething toy. The infant babbled something not too nice at the mutt as she fiercely ran after him.

The matriarch closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. "Alright..." She looked back at Lynn. "But we'll have to sit down with the girls first to talk about it, _after_ you tell them about Lincoln's session. I wouldn't be surprised if that's all they've been thinking about today."

Lily finally caught up to Charles and was playing tug-o-war with the dog for her toy. Unfortunately, Charles once again yanked it out of her grip before running up the stairs.

"Dan it..." The infant uttered.

* * *

Lori tapped her foot on the ground, her brows furrowed as a low growl escaped her throat. She glanced down the street in both directions, her arms folding up as the patience she had was beginning to wear thin. "Where are they?..." She muttered to herself, wiping some sweat off her forehead.

The eldest Loud stood on the side walk next to the road that went by their school. Most of the students had already taken the bus, but a few lingered around just to chat it up with their friends over weekend plans. Her other two sisters stood along side; Leni was fidgeting in anticipation while Luna was keeping herself distracted with her MP3, her head bobbing every few seconds to the beat that blasted through the tiny earbuds. Normally, they would've taken the bus or Vanzilla to school; but since Lynn Sr. needed it, and the parents wanted to pick up the girls from school, the trio was stuck waiting in the heat.

Not only that, they were well aware of what was happening today; hence the reason why Lori was growing steadily more irate as time went on.

"Is that them?!" Leni asked in excitement as she spotted a family van coming. However, it was the wrong color and make. "Wait, that's not mom and dad..." She frowned as it passed, but soon smiled as another family wagon approached. "What about that one Lori?" The 16 year old pointed.

Lori glanced to her left, giving an unamused look at the oncoming car. "Leni, Vanzilla is bigger than that. And that's a _station wagon._ "

Leni's finger curled back, her mouth curling down in disappointment. Giving a small huff, she looked down the other side of the road, spotting yet another van coming. "Uh, Lori? Why does Vanzilla have a ladder on it?"

The 17 year old raised an eyebrow as she looked to the right. Her eyelids dropped half way before she slapped her hand to her forehead. "Leni...that's a _construction_ van. Did you take your pills today?"

Leni stayed silent for a few seconds. "Uh...no?" She smiled nervously.

The eldest sibling gave a sigh before digging into her purse, taking out a water bottle. She then reached into Leni's lengthy hair and found her pill case. Lori handed her sister both objects, watching her closely as Leni popped one of the pills in her mouth. Leni cringed a little as her tongue poked out in disgust; her taste buds detecting the foreign object before quickly washing it down. The 16 year old blinked a few times as her pupils adjusted slightly, the pill's effects kicking in after a few moments.

"As much as I like having to remind you to take your medicine, you really should stick a note to your head so you don't forget Leni..." Lori spoke in a scolding tone.

"Sorry..." Leni put her pills back in its usual spot, shifting it around until she was sure it was hooked into her hair. "If I could stay focused for most of the day, I would. I mean, seriously? I totes know what Vanzilla looks like..."

"You can still ask mom or dad to find you a stronger pill."

"Lori, we already talked about this. I mean, do you know what kind of side effects I could get? I don't want to wind up with zits, a rash, or even a stroke!" Leni rubbed her arm. "It's already bad enough I won't know what it feels like to have a tan..."

Lori gave a sad gaze at her sister. She apologized to Leni about the remark towards her skin earlier in the week; seems it was more than just a hot button that wasn't meant to be pressed. "What about Lisa? Maybe when we're no longer grounded, you could ask her."

Leni hummed as she stared up at the sky. A list of past events came to mind, counting each one on her fingers. "Even though she made my head the size of a beach ball, turned my skin blue, and she tried giving me some weird bloating cream afterwards as an _antidote?_ Never mind all the times she made fun of my brain." Her brows furrowed as she stared back at Lori. "Sometimes I wonder if she sees me as just a toy to play with."

"She's only 4 dude." Luna started, making the blondes glance at her. "Yeah, she's done a lot of weird stuff, but remember what the doc said? She may be smart, but she's still a kid. I know you're still holdin' onto those incidents sis, but if you can forgive Lori for making fun of your skin, can't you forgive Lisa?" The musician stuck her hands in her pockets. "Heck, she forgave me for the times I constantly interrupted her business with my tunes, which made her accidentally blow up her room (including a time I broke her glasses); and I forgave her for the time she used my axe for a test that broke it to pieces. I mean, it's not like you have anything left to lose."

Leni's lips narrowed a bit. She gave a side glance at a random object on the other side of the street before glancing back at her sisters. "I don't, but what she said was mean..."

Luna shrugged. "You can always let her know that, but you shouldn't hold onto grudges sis. I'm pretty stumped you two haven't talked it over yet."

The fashionita spotted a car coming up behind the musician, noting the familiar dents and dings in it from her past driving episodes. "Ok, I'm totes sure that's them."

"It better be..." Lori groaned, twisting her head around. Thankfully, Leni was right this time.

Once the van pulled up, the girls hopped into the first two rows behind their parents. "You know we could've taken the bus dad." The eldest blonde chided, letting out a small sigh once she was in some shade. She sat next to Lily, who was asleep in her car seat, while Luna took the seat next to her and Leni sitting in the second row.

"Yeah I know, but I wanted to tell you all as soon as I could. Plus, I didn't want to risk you girls breaking down the door and asking too many questions."

"We don't do that _all_ the time." Leni replied with a hint of annoyance. "Right?..."

Lori and Luna avoided eye contact, preferring to distract themselves with menial things.

"So, how was school?"

Luna kept her attention focused on the passing scenery, resting her head on her hand. "Terrible, as always."

"I literally don't have much of a social circle to speak of, mom."

Rita raised an eyebrow before glancing back at her daughter. "Wait, I thought you still had friends you could talk to."

"Not since I texted Bobby about what happened weeks ago, before I was barred from speaking to him." Lori stared at the floor, traces of sadness appearing in her eyes. "Not that it would've mattered because we broke up a while before dad came back home that Sunday. Then, over the next few days, it got worse. Becky found out from Bobby, and so did my other friends and nearly everyone in the school. The only good thing is that the teachers at least care enough to not let it derail the class..." Lori paused, taking in shaky breaths as if she was trying to keep herself from crying. "Everywhere I go, someone is looking at me like I'm a creep, or some murderer. Just last week, someone wrote "bitch" and a few other things I'd rather not say on my locker..."

"My friends pretty much act like I don't exist, or are just afraid of being near me..." Leni took a sip of the bottle Lori gave her. "I get the first part, but not the second...is that normal?"

"You're always nice sis. You being angry just isn't you."

Lynn Sr. and Rita stole a glance at each other. "Did...did anything happen with you Luna?" The father asked as he eyed his daughter through the rear view mirror.

"Yeah..." The musician turned her head towards him. "Got kicked out my band, and one of them said some pretty nasty things to me..." She looked back out the window, noticing the combined grade school in the distance. "Chunk still talks to me occasionally though."

"Well...you all seem to be taking it well." Lynn spoke in a hopeful tone.

"Oh, that's cause we pretty much stopped crying about it. During the first few days, I hid in the bathroom during my music class so I could be alone..." Luna stated monotonously.

"Lets just say, I had to visit the restroom several times to clean my face..." Lori added.

"I cut myself at one point." Said Leni, causing everyone to look at her in shock. The fashionista looked at them in confusion before realizing what she said. "Well, it was just a paper cut during one of my classes. But, I was a bit happy everyone was ignoring me for a while."

"Since you girls had these problems in school, why didn't you say anything earlier?" The matriarch asked as the van pulled to a stop outside the K-8 school.

"Would it have made a difference?" Lori started. "We pretty much deserved what we got for the pain Lincoln is going through right now, and nothing is gonna change that until he's back to his old self. And at this point, and pardon my words, but I literally don't give a shit if the school hates me forever. I just want Lincoln to be his comic book loving self again..."

"I certainly stopped giving a hoot after a week." Luna added. Spotting her younger sisters coming, she unlocked the door.

"Mmmm..." Lynn Sr. hummed, tapping a finger on the steering wheel.

Luan opened the door, noticing the look on everyone's faces. "Uh...did we miss something?"

The 3 teens shook their heads. Luan shrugged and got into the second row, the younger girls occupying whatever seats they could.

"So dad..." Lynn started as she tried strapping her seat belt on. The sporty Loud knitted her brows as the darn thing refused to lock in. "Did anything happen with Lincoln's therapy?"

Each of the girls were on edge as they waited for their father's answer. Lynn Sr. hesitated a bit. He knew his daughters were waiting all week to hear some good news come out of this, having high hopes that Dr. Lopez would somehow cure their brother. However, therapy doesn't work that way.

"No, not that I know of that is." He could see the hope beginning to drain from their faces. "Lincoln...didn't say much about it after he was done, and he fell asleep on the way back to the McBrides. At this point, I guess it's up to him as far as what he wants to do."

"But what if he doesn't do anything? Are we doomed to be his eternal trepidation?..." Lucy stated, hugging her book.

"Now girls, I'm pretty sure he'll do _something_. He was nervous about speaking with Dr. Lopez, and when he came out, he looked like he was mulling over options. Who knows? He might send a text or something."

" _Sure._ He'll be happy to talk to the people who nearly beat him to death..." Lola folded her arms. "Excuse my sarcasm, but I doubt that'll happen dad."

"Shouldn't _we_ be the ones who call him in this case?" Lana asked.

"I don't think you should, sweetie. That would probably just scare him." Rita replied.

Lori developed a sullen look. "Guess were back to doing literally nothing then..."

"Well..." Lynn Sr. paused, waiting for a car to pass before he could drive the van into the local college parking lot. "I wouldn't say that."

Luna paused her music, raising a brow. "What do you mean pops?"

Lisa stood patiently by the steps outside the main doors, her backpack slung over her shoulders in a slightly uncomfortable position. Upon seeing Vanzilla, she waved at the car to catch their attention. The patriarch pulled to a stop in front of her.

"Hello everyone." Lisa greeted as she opened the door. Everyone responded in kind as the child genius shuffled along the side to reach the back seats where Lucy and Lola were seated.

"What I mean is...given how hard things have been for you girls since we were first told about Lincoln's phobia, it felt like you guys were getting punished twice as hard than I intended. I mean, it's one thing to have all of your hobbies taken away, but losing all your friends and being hated by almost everyone in school? Not even the bullies I grew up with had to deal with that."

The girls looked at one another. It was already obvious they were at rock bottom, but where was their dad going with this? Was he going to lighten the load on the burden they share? Or did he sign them up for some activity that was supposed to help them more?

"Me and your mother had talked about it, and we decided to roll back some of your punishments. Now, that doesn't mean you get to do _everything_ you used to do, but we will allow you to do your respective hobbies. Tomorrow, we can go by the storage place to pick out stiuff you can take home with you." Lynn Sr. turned his head slightly. "Does that sound ok?"

The sisters were left speechless, their faces giving mixed emotions. Lisa was wide-eyed as she had apparently missed a heavy conversation, Lola and Lynn looked to be determining whether they should be somewhat relieved or not care much, Luna and Leni had their mouths hanging open in surprise, Lori thumbed her purse open and stared at her phone (the only thing she was allowed to keep since the grounding) before closing it, Luan and Lana were a tad indifferent for certain reasons, and Lucy just raised an eyebrow.

"I know it's probably shocking to you all, but I realized that your hobbies could also be ways you vent your frustration. By barring you from doing them, it could cause a huge amount of damage I doubt even Dr. Lopez could fix..."

"We just don't want you girls to become permanently damaged emotional wise. We ended up doing that to Lucy and..." Rita paused, unable to find the right words.

"I know, and I forgave you guys for the Home Alone incident." Lucy replied. "I know you didn't mean to do it on purpose, so I couldn't hold it against you. I'm still grateful that you let me write again..." The 8 year old opened her book, flipping through a few pages. "I've been feeling better now that I could unleash my inner turmoil into my poems."

Luna pursed her lips before speaking up. "...That day we put Lil bro in the clinic, I lost my will to make any songs pops..." She gripped her MP3 with both hands as she stared out the window. "Yet, I still had the itch to make a song about how crappy our lives have been. I even wanted to write something for Lincoln and send it to him, even though it might be pointless now..."

"Well one thing is for certain, I'm _definitely_ off pageants forever." Lola folded her arms as she sank in her seat, putting a hand to her forehead. "I can't even bare to show myself to the public after what I did..."

"Doesn't school count as public?" Lana asked.

The younger twin glared at her older opposite. "Not now Lana..."

"And I can't play sports for two reasons: 1) I lost the will to do them anymore, and 2) I doubt I'll be let on any teams since most of my sports friends know what happened..." Lynn added.

"And I can't find anything that's funny about our current standing. If I tried doing Funny Business right now, I'd run my reputation into the ground, or more than it already has..." Luan pointed out.

"You don't have to be in pageants anymore sweetie, and you don't have to do sports if you want to Lynn. But it would still help that you have some kind of outlet. I mean, you might find something creative to do Lola; and you could set up your punching bag and hammer it in Lynn. You always did that when you were frustrated."

The sporty Loud sighed through her nostrils. "I guess..."

"...I'll think about it..." Was Lola's response.

"You could do the same thing Luan. Sorry to remind you about it, but your pranks on April Fools are very...creative?" Lynn Sr. added, hoping to spur something in his comedian of a daughter.

"..." Luan gave a low shrug and opt to follow Luna's example and stare at the passing scenery.

"While I do find the idea of requisitioning my chemistry set as a way to channel my own inner feelings, it has found great use to the college. Also, I am more inclined to take time away from science to spend time with family." Lisa finally spoke when it seemed like no one else would say anything.

The patriarch scanned each of his daughters in the rear view mirror. They were mostly saddened or indifferent to the aspect of having a means to ease their pain. _"That went over smoothly..."_ He groaned inwardly. Lynn Sr. glanced at his watch, noting it was close to 4. "Well, I don't feel like cooking anything and I doubt pizza would be an option right now..." He muttered to himself. "How does everyone feel about eating out today?"

A chorus of 'meh' approval answered. It wasn't like they had anything else to do.

* * *

At the McBrides residence, Lincoln was lying on the couch trying to read one of his comics for the last hour. Key word _tried._ After his dad dropped him off, the boy used the spare key to get inside. The Loud knew he was going to be alone for a while. Howard and Harold would be at work until 5, and then it would take them an hour to get home. As for Clyde, Lincoln glanced at the clock. It was a little after 2, so he should be home soon; along with whatever homework they would have to do this weekend. Occasionally, Cleopawtra and the new kitten the McBrides recently adopted would cuddle up to him for a few moments at a time. It was mostly out of curiosity before they'd go off doing whatever it was cats do.

To try and ease his troubled mind, Lincoln hoped some Ace Savvy would distract him for a while. This didn't last very long, because he wound up reading the same page for 17 minutes. For 3 whole weeks, he was dead set on avoiding his sisters as much as possible. Now, it felt like two sides of his brain were warring with each other. The Loud came to trust Dr. Lopez after their meeting, but following said advice was proving to be difficult. Of course, Lincoln was still hesitant to be anywhere near his sisters. If they weren't gonna kill him, they could still try some sort of bodily harm. But every time his fearful self brought this up, he was constantly reminded of what Luan did for him yesterday.

Giving a frustrated sigh, Lincoln sat up, placing the comic on the armrest. He bit his lip, drumming his fingers on the seat as he reflected over everything knew at the moment.

 _"I've been hiding from my sisters for weeks, and nothing has happened to me...well...aside from the occasional nightmare."_ Lincoln thought to himself as he glanced around the room. _"_ _I thought that being at school would be a death trap...and I was really certain it was."_ His fingers gripped the edge of the seat. _"Lola was out there...somewhere...a-and Lucy could've been in any dark place. I stayed away from any garbage cans in case Lana was near, and I'm thankful my arm prevents me from taking gym class..."_ Lincoln glanced down at his arm cast. _"I had no idea where Luan was...until I bumped into her. And even then, she...she didn't do anything to hurt me."_

Lincoln looked towards the kitchen, spotting the main house phone nestled in its cradle on the wall.

 _"None of them had tried calling me since I got my phone a week ago...do they actually know I'm afraid of them?..."_ A small shiver went down Lincoln's spine. He gripped his shoulder with his good arm for comfort as he glanced at the floor. "They c-could be doing that just to scare me..." The Loud looked back at the phone. "But dad and Ms. Lopez said I need to be more 'open minded'..."

Lincoln stared at the phone for what seemed like hours, before he finally got the courage to get off the couch. The 11 year old shuffled his way to the phone, mixed opinions continuing to direct his actions. Lincoln reached for the phone, his hand stopping a few inches from the receiver. His fingers curled inward as he began to doubt the validity of what he was about to do. Before the deal with the Sister Fight Protocol, hearing the voice of his 9 sisters would range from happiness to irritation. Since then...it might as well have been Death calling to claim his soul.

However, there was a significant difference between past incidents and now. Back then, Lincoln didn't have any sort of barrier to protect him from a potential thrashing; his sisters would either be only a few steps away or somewhere within the same building, ready to seek him out if needed. Even though his friends vowed to protect him, Lincoln still wasn't very confident in their plan; especially when he considered how aggressive his siblings were when things didn't go their way. With a phone, he had distance; and at best, the girls could only _verbally_ assault him.

"It's not like they could attack me _through_ the phone, right?..." Lincoln told himself as he took the receiver out of its cradle.

The dial tone droned on as it waited for a command. Lincoln gingerly dialed in his house number, each button pressed increasing his anxiety. Drops of sweat flowed down the side of the boy's head as the line rang. He silently prayed that it would just go to voicemail, but like always, the universe likes to be sadistic.

"Hello?" A feminine voice answered, one that the Loud boy recognized all too well. Lincoln's pupils shrank a little as his blood started to run cold. That voice was too young to be his mother, and was very adolescent-like.

"Hellooo?" The voice answered again. "Anyone there?..."

Lincoln stayed silent, finding it hard to say anything to her. His breathing was starting to become uneven and labored, which were the only sounds the phone could pick up.

"What the...is this some kind of prank call?!" Lincoln could feel the venom in his sister's tone.

Lincoln shut his eyes as he got his breathing under control. An audible gulp escaped his throat as he tried to swallow his fear. Just when it seemed like the female Loud was about to hang up, the middle child finally uttered two words. "H-Hi, L-Lori..."

There was a loud noise on the other end of the line, as if the phone had been dropped. Lincoln could hear as if someone was quickly scrambling to answer before it finally cleared up. "Lincoln?...Is that really you?" Lori's voice was hushed and nearly trembling.

"...Yes..." The boy replied.

"So...how are you?..." Lori sounded like she didn't know what else to say, and Lincoln could hardly say much else. "Never mind, that was a stupid question..." Lincoln heard Lori give a heavy sigh. "I know this probably isn't the best time to tell you this, but we're really sorry Lincoln. We know you've been afraid of us since that...day...and we just want nothing more than for you to come home. We won't hurt you ever again..."

Lincoln gazed at the floor, unsure whether he should trust Lori or just hang up in silence. He opened his mouth as if he was about to say something, but at that moment, another voice cut in. "Yeah. We just want you home Linky."

"Leni?..."

"Just come home to us bro. We'll take good care of you..." Luna's pleading voice cut in.

"We miss you Lincoln." The twins joined in.

"I promise I won't wrestle with you anymore bro." Lynn spoke up. "Just come home Lincoln."

"Uh..." Lincoln started to sweat again. "I don't think-"

"Just come home Lincoln. Just come home Lincoln." All of the girls said at the same time, their voices becoming more distorted by the second. This little chorus repeated itself over and over, making Lincoln begin to quake on the spot. Suddenly, he felt something poke his ear the phone was on. Pulling the device away, the boy's eyes became the size of dinner plates as a finger was sticking out of the small holes in the receiver.

"W-What the?..." Was all Lincoln said before an entire hand pushed the top of the phone off.

"Just come home Lincoln." The line kept repeating as the hand grabbed Lincoln's arm. The middle child screamed as he threw the device to the other side of the living room. The gesture was not well received, as almost immediately, 8 other hands sprouted from the phone, all reaching towards their target. Lincoln screamed again before taking off towards the guest room. His momentum was immediately cut short as Luna and Leni's hands grabbed his legs, dragging him back towards the device. Lincoln dug his nails into the carpet to slow them down, but it was proving useless. The boy's heart was racing. He experienced something like this during school, where he was effectively cornered with no way out. This time however, he was inside a house with plenty of places to hide, and he wasn't about to make it easy for his sisters.

Twisting around, Lincoln sat up and bit Luna's hand before promptly clawing at Leni's. They immediately released him as the hands recoiled in pain, giving him the chance to run for it. The other hands reached out to him at lightning speed, chasing their prey through the wide hallway. Lincoln made a sharp left into the bedroom and promptly slammed the door shut. The 11 year old was pushed forward a few feet as 8 hands slammed against the door. Lincoln took several cautious steps back as the hands continued to pound and claw at the wooden barrier that separated them. He bit his lip in an attempt to hold in a scream as he noticed the door cracking inwards; it wouldn't hold for long. The middle child looked towards the window. He could try climbing out of it, but he doubted he could get the window open in time. Glancing to the bed, there was a choice of hiding there. Lincoln shook his head; that would be too obvious and surely get him caught. Looking over near the door, there was the bedroom closet. Lincoln gripped his hair, twisting his head to and fro as he weighed his options. He didn't have much time to think on it either, as the door was starting to splinter.

Finally deciding on what to do, Lincoln sucked in a breath through his teeth as he made a beeline for the closet. He shut the door as quietly as he could, hoping the sounds of the girls' hammering would drown it out. Seconds after he sealed himself in the closet, he could hear the door to the bedroom finally give way. Lincoln put his hand over his mouth in an attempt to quiet his screams. The closet was filled with the sound of his shaky breaths as he heard things being rummaged around in the bedroom, including one or two things being overturned.

Then, the knob of the closet door started to jiggle. The color drained from Lincoln's face as he fought hard to not yell out in panic. He looked up at his clothes that hung on the shelf. Being the quick thinker he was, Lincoln stretched his arm up several times, pulling clothes down in a haphazard manner.

The 11 year old lied down, arranging the clothing to make it appear that they had been lying on the floor for a while. Once his body was covered, Lincoln placed a few shirts over his head before lying flat. His body became deathly still once he heard the door open. The Loud boy held his breath as his sister's hand searched the closet, picking up various pieces of clothing and moving the hung clothes in search of its prey. Lincoln took a sharp breath once he felt the hand move onto the pile. It trailed along the pile, pressing down on certain spots to see if anything was under it. Lincoln's eyes began to water as he felt the hand touch a couple shirts that lie on his head. He shut his eyes and let out a small whimper as he waited for the inevitable to happen.

Just when it seemed like Lincoln was found, a sudden buzzing sound forced his eyes open. Looking around, the boy found himself back on the couch, still looking in the general direction of the house phone.

Lincoln blinked a few times. "Did I just have a daydream?"

The buzzing occurred again, making Lincoln jump for a second. Realizing it was coming from his pocket, the Loud fished out his own phone. Upon seeing the Caller ID, the white-haired child calmed down a little.

Lincoln pressed a button and put the phone to his ear. "Clyde?"

"Hey Lincoln, can you open the door? I can't find the spare house key." Clyde asked as he scratched his head. The doormat was overturned, and the nerdy kid was currently looking under the rocks in the garden.

Lincoln glanced at the small table to his right, seeing the house key lying there. "Yeah...sorry about that..." He replied as he got up. He sat the phone on a small table before heading to the door.

Clyde was still looking around the front porch when he heard the door open. "So, how was your-" Clyde paused upon seeing the pink tint in Lincoln's eyes. "Were you crying again Lincoln?"

Lincoln felt his cheeks, noting that they felt a little damp. He gave a small frown. "Yeah..."

Clyde stepped through the doorway, shutting it behind him. "Did you have another nightmare?"

"More like a _day-mare._ "

"Wanna talk about it?" The African American sat his bag on a chair in the kitchen.

Lincoln breathed in through his nose and exhaled from his mouth. "My mind was stuck on what Dr. Lopez told me during our talk. She said I should try to keep an open mind, because what I see in my nightmares is much different from what's _really_ going on. Then, she suggested that I try to get in touch with my sisters by phone." The Loud boy cast a weary glance at the house phone. "I thought about calling them, but then I just imagined my sisters literally pulling me through the phone to get me back home."

"Wait, so they attacked you _through_ the phone? As in stuck their arm into the receiver?"

"Yeah..." Lincoln sat down on the side of the couch that was furthest away from the kitchen. "It was way too freaky..."

Clyde pursed his lips. "No offense Lincoln, but that sounds impossible. I mean, our life isn't like that one episode of Spongey Joe where he tries to karate chop Stoney through the phone."

Lincoln couldn't help but smile a little. "That _was_ funny."

Clyde walked into the kitchen, opening the fridge. "If talking on the phone is making you uneasy, you could always try texting."

Lincoln raised an eyebrow. "What good would that do?"

"Can't hear them talking if it's just words." Clyde came back out with two sodas. "I mean, what's the worst that could happen? The _words_ themselves jumping out the screen and attacking you?" He handed one to Lincoln.

Lincoln popped the can open before taking a sip. "That does sound rather crazy." He stared at his reflection on the can, his eyelids drooping a little. "You guys are telling me this is just all in my head...but I can't stop thinking about the worst. Even just as you came home, I had a daydream-"

"Day-mare."

"Day-mare while I was awake. Even Dr. Lopez didn't give much of an answer as to how to make them stop." Lincoln leaned backwards. "Makes me wonder if I'll eventually go crazy..."

"Not necessarily. In situations like this, it's something you have to figure out on your own." Clyde sipped his drink, giving a small burp. He covered his mouth immediately. "Excuse me. At least, that's what she keeps telling me. But still, just try it and see how that works for you."

Lincoln swung his foot as he let Clyde's words sink in. Considering how unrealistic his dreams are appearing to be, it would be foolish of him to not try anything in order to break the ice. The white-haired child looked over to his phone, the feeling of uncertainty swelling in his chest. Lincoln flared his nostrils as he fought down his anxiety, reaching over towards the small device.

* * *

At Giovanni Chang's Italian Chinese Bistro, the Louds were enjoying their dinner. Royal Woods was well known for having alleged 'fusion' restaurants that included a mix of two (sometimes vastly) different cultures. One such example was Jean Juan's French Mex, or a lesser known restaurant called Aloha Comrade. Such restaurants tend to stand out better than their typical single culture competitors, thus gaining more monotony to attract a wider range of customers. Being that this was the first time the Louds had eaten there, it lightened the mood for them to a degree.

Still, it was unanimously shared that they wished Lincoln could enjoy this with them...

Whilst everyone else was busy chatting, Lori was idly browsing through her phone. Since her punishment had been lifted, most of the parental settings had been removed from the small device. The only one that remained was a plug-in that blocked 'explicit' content. Lori didn't mind though; even with most of her phone functions available to her, one thing still remained: her social life was in the gutter. It wasn't like she could text Roberto all day since they had remained separated for almost a month. Added onto that, much of Lori's social circle refused to speak with her for weeks. The teen considered Lynn, and Luna by extension, to be lucky that at least one of her friends decided to stick by her side. If they ever decided that she was worth talking to again, it'd have to be by some miracle, cause all Lori had was herself and her sisters at this point.

Not taking her eyes off her phone, Lori lazily reached for her drink and started taking small sips from it. She guided her finger over the EyeTube app, hoping that watching some videos could put her mind at ease. However, right as she was about to activate the app, her phone buzzed as the text message icon appeared. Raising an eyebrow, she wondered who on Earth would want to speak to her. Opening her message box, saying Lori was surprised would be the biggest understatement of the year.

As soon as the 17 year old saw the name on the message, she promptly spit out the soda she was drinking. Unfortunately, she spat to her left, where Luan was sitting.

The comedian was eating some breadsticks when Lori suddenly spat on her. The brunette looked at her ruined shirt before casting a hard glare at her sister. "Gee, can I get some ice with that?..." She rubbed her face with a napkin.

Lynn and Lynn Sr. held their mouths to stifle their laughter, prompting Rita to glare at them.

"Any reason for the spit take sis?" Luna asked.

Instead of speaking, Lori fumbled with her phone and turned the screen to the rest of her family. Upon getting a good read at it, they had similar reactions that ranged from nearly choking on food to having their mouths hanging open, leaving bits to fall out.

On Lori's phone was a message that had been sent from Lincoln; and with it, was a simple, short message.

 _Hi... -_ Lincoln

 **A/N: After having gone through being an emotional train-wreck and hiding from a majority of his family members out of a reasonable about of fear, Lincoln has finally made the first move towards his recovery: messaging his sister. Time will tell how well this would go. While I know some may be divisive about the girls getting some relief from their grounding, no amount of precious items will replace the one thing they truly yearn for. It may help them cope, but sometimes it won't be enough.**

 **Also, Lincoln's dream in this chapter was inspired by the episode Karate Choppers from SpongeBob, particularly the scene where he tries to chop Sandy through his phone, only for it to backfire.**


	28. Mixed Results

**A/N: Welp, it finally happened. For the first time in over a month since the beatdown, Lincoln has initiated first contact with one of his sisters. Now, you could expect the girls to try and jump at the chance to get a lot of things off their chest; fortunately for them, they're still with their parents, who will rein them in before things go south. Will the girls try to take things slow, or would they try to speed up the process to get Lincoln to forgive them?**

 **Also, as a note to those who update the trope pages for my works, I'd appreciate it if you guys took more time to actually update the pages with more information that instead of doing the easy work like making small grammar changes. The main page and especially the heartwarming page for Worth haven't been updated in over a week despite the YMMV page being updated on the same day, and there are a few things that could be added as of the latest chapter.**

 **Disclosure: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

Getting over the shock that was the short message on Lori's phone wasn't as easy as one may think. Having been without the company of their white-haired sibling for a month had done much on the girls' overall demeanor. Watching your sibling from afar was one thing, especially for the younger ones as they could keep a close eye on Lincoln even if he was vaguely aware of it. Actually talking to him was a completely different game to play, knowing that their very presence brings no comfort to the 11 year old in spite of how much they wanted to shower him with nothing but affection and pamper him until he was fully healed.

And now...Lincoln finally gained enough confidence to actually send them a message. A mix of emotions were in play, vying for control on how the Louds should feel. Make no mistake, the siblings were internally overjoyed that Lincoln was beginning to come around. And yet...there was something wrong with this situation.

It shouldn't have come out like this. _They_ should be the ones who should've been the first to make small talk with their brother to try and put him at ease. _They_ should've been the ones to send a message out to their brother first to make it clear they weren't going to harm him. _They_ were the ones who so desperately needed to apologize. Oh, right, they did; it just ended up driving their brother further away after that one visit at the hospital. And since then, per their parents' instructions, all of the non-infancy Loud girls avoided any sort of contact with Lincoln.

But now, by some sort of sheer fortune or Dr. Lopez was some miracle worker, the girls finally had an opportunity to actually communicate with him. And they weren't going to waste it.

Lola was the first to get out of her shock, rubbing off any food particles still on her mouth after her short choking fit. "Don't just sit there! Say something!"

Lori bit her lower lip, very hesitant to even touch the virtual keyboard. Her thumbs were planted firmly on the sides of the phone as if they were glued on the spot. "W-What should I say? It's not like I just expected him to send me a text!"

Lynn reached over and grabbed the phone. "Well, if you aren't gonna say something, _I will._ His arm is still in a cast because of me."

"Oh no you don't." A small hand snatched it from the jock's fingers. "Linky is stuck with a horrid smile thanks to me, so _I_ get first dibs." Lola claimed, her thumbs flinging around the screen as she started typing.

A single string of letters was left as the mobile device was once again snatched up by another sister. "I doubt he wants to hear from the person who wrecked his face." Luan pointed out. "Plus, I did help him out the day before he went into therapy, so he'll probably be more willing to speak with me."

"Do you honestly think he's going to forget about all the pranks you did to him sis? Especially during that one April Fools Day?..." Luna chimed in, gently taking the phone from her. "Let me talk to him."

Before Luna's finger could graze the screen, another teenaged hand took it. "Sorry Luna, but I totes need to tell Lincoln how sorry I am for everything that's happened."

"Join the club..." Lana stated with a bored expression. She grabbed another shrimp off her plate before popping it into her mouth.

Lori knitted her brows together after watching her sisters play keep away with her phone. Even if she was very moody lately, the oldest Loud sibling still didn't appreciate others touching her personal device. She reached over and grabbed the top half of the device. "Can I _please_ have my phone back?..." Were the words that forced their way past gritted teeth; Lori's tone was laced with a mixture of overly sweetness and a hint of venom.

Leni tugged the phone in her direction, prompting an irate glare from Lori as she tried to pry it out of her sister's hands. Lisa blinked with disinterest as she watched her two oldest sisters bicker over the oldest's phone. She hadn't made a grab for the device, being rather cynical about the possibility that Lincoln would attempt to reach out to them. If he hadn't wanted to talk with them before, why would he suddenly send a message now?

Sensing a fight would break out, Lynn Sr. reached over and yanked the phone from their grips. "Girls, calm down! We're not at home you know!"

Rita took a glance at the screen, which now had an incomprehensible message on display due to the random button pressing. It was very fortunate that none of their fingers hit the 'send' button. "Kids, I know you're all jumpy to talk with Lincoln, but you need to remember that he's still fearful of you girls. We don't want you to overwhelm him with constant texts, as that might just make him stop sending any messages completely." Rita grabbed the phone and thumbed over the entire message before deleting it. "Now, Lincoln sent this to _Lori's_ phone, so she gets to respond back." The matriarch handed the phone to her oldest child, who gladly accepted.

"If I may inquire mother..." Lisa spoke as she absentmindedly picked at her food. "How exactly do we know that's Lincoln, and not someone whose just using his phone? I find it hard to believe that as petrified he is of the 9 of us, he would suddenly develop the gall to actually initiate contact. Not that I don't believe in miracles, but I just find this hard to believe."

Lori thinned her lips as another wave of irritation engulfed her. "Well, you're the smart one. Don't you have something that can trace calls or whatever?"

Lisa squinted her eyes as she gave a sideways glance. "...Nooooooo?" She smiled sheepishly. The unamused stares from her siblings made it clear they weren't convinced. Breathing out through her nose, "Ok, I do. Unfortunately, it's at home."

Lola turned her attention to the mobile device, giving a cold glare at the hard casing. "If it _is_ an imposter, I'm going to do something that will give them nightmares for _years..."_

Both Lana and Luan shifted their seats a few inches away from the former princess, small beads of sweat forming on the sides of their heads. If Lola ever spoke in a way that sounded like Death had you in its sights, it meant she fully intended to carry out her threat. There was a reason why she was so feared on the pageant circuit after all.

Lori rolled her eyes before taking a quick look at the message history. Lincoln didn't text her much in the past, and she could see a few messages from months ago. One in particular was an S.O.S. message to come home early during time the teen was out on a picnic with Roberto. Since Lori knew the emotional undertone texts typically carried, she could tell the 3 dots after the letters meant the person was either anxious or upset.

"...I don't see any reason why I shouldn't believe this isn't Lincoln, so..." Lori guided her thumbs over the touchscreen keyboard as she formed her reply.

* * *

"Out of curiosity, why did you send it to Lori's phone?" Clyde asked, peeking over Lincoln's shoulder. "And it's totally _not_ for anything related to how pretty she is." The Loud sent him a half-lidded stare as if he didn't believe him. "What? After what Lori did, I don't see her as much of an angel as I used to." Clyde shrugged.

"Given how many times you've stared at her from a distance..." Lincoln said dryly.

The nerdy kid gave a nervous chuckle. "Speaking of staring, there was this one girl who kept staring at me several times today."

"Was it Haiku?" Lincoln half-joked, managing a small smile. He knew the two had always remained close since the Sadie Hawkins dance, though they were mostly friends than an actual couple.

"No. It was that girl named Astrid."

Lincoln raised a brow. "Astrid?"

"Yeah, she's one of Ronnie Anne's friends. She tried asking me something, but then she got...nervous I guess? I mean, she started to say something, froze up, and ran off." Clyde dragged a hand through his hair. "I gotta remember to ask Ronnie Anne about her."

Lincoln had a feeling it may have been due to the fact Astrid has a crush on Clyde, seeing as her mannerisms are similar to how Clyde acts around Lori (minus the nose bleeds). Yet, his best friend remained oblivious to it. He wouldn't say it out loud, but Lincoln thought Clyde would be better off if he didn't fawn over a monster like one of his sisters. Plus, Lori was too old for him anyway.

The white-haired child turned back at the screen, his depression increasing as no new messages had popped up. "Lori always has her phone with her, like it's glued to her hand. I thought she'd be the most likely to see it, even if she doesn't like me texting her much."

"Why's that?"

"She said she does not have time for my 'useless' messages..."

It had been roughly 8 minutes since Lincoln sent that text, and he still had gotten a reply. His lips curled down, eyelids dropping a bit as the thought of his oldest sister deleting his message came to bear.

"...Maybe I shouldn't have bothered to-" Lincoln stopped his self-loathing as his phone buzzed, a message incoming from Lori. Lincoln bit his lip as he opened it, hoping it wasn't anything meant to demean him.

 _Hey...how are you?_ \- Lori

Lincoln turned his head to Clyde, who gestured him to respond back. The ticks from the phone echoed around the room as Lincoln typed back.

 _Ok...I guess..._ \- Lincoln

Lori paused for a moment, wondering how she could make small talk with her brother. She didn't want to press anything as she didn't have a clear topic in mind, so she hoped he would direct the conversation. He did text her first after all.

 _Is there anything you want to talk about?_ \- Lori

 _No...not really. It's...it's just been a while since we even talked..._ \- Lincoln

 _Ok. Well, I'm here for you if you need anything. Love you, bro._ \- Lori

Lincoln's thumbs hovered over his screen, his body freezing up as an internal debate raged on he should answer that. He didn't want to make it seem as if he was brushing off the comment, but it felt like the love he previously had for his sisters, most of them in fact, just...wasn't there. Past moments of hugs and kisses had been all but forgotten, replaced by memories of fists and harsh words.

Seeing that Lincoln hadn't replied back, or wasn't going to, Lori sighed and set her phone down. However, she had to pick it back up when it buzzed again. The short message given felt as if someone put a stake in her heart.

 _Iloveyoutoo_ \- Lincoln

To the casual observer, it might look as if the person typed the message and forgot to put spaces in it. But not to Lori. Lincoln had gave her 'I love you' messages before and they didn't look as nearly as forced as this one did.

"Lori? What's wrong?" Leni asked.

The teen slumped her shoulders as she leaned back in her chair. "I'd rather not discuss it. Not here at least..."

The girls and even the parents glanced at each other, wondering if something went wrong. The siblings took turns reading the conversation, not fully understanding why Lori became downcast. Aside from the last message, it seemed short and sweet. Lynn took a glance at it, then looked at Lori. The jock's heart sank a bit as she started to dread the sibling meeting that was sure to take place when they got home.

And speaking of home, Lynn knew she was going to have to break out her punching bag and padded mitts for a specific purpose once the family returned from the storage place tomorrow. Taking out her phone, she sent a text to one person in particular.

 _Meet me at my house at 2pm tomorrow, and make sure to bring some tape for your hands._ \- Lynn

 _Why would I need tape for my hands?..._ \- R.A.

 _Trust me. You'll need it._ \- Lynn

Back at Clyde's, Lincoln set the phone down. He breathed in before giving a heavy sigh, his eyes downcast as if he felt something was missing.

"So, how do you feel now?" Clyde asked him.

"I don't really know Clyde...I want to feel some sense of relief that I finally got that out of the way, but at the same time, I feel...empty..."

"Empty as in, you're lacking some kind of emotion?" Lincoln nodded, to which Clyde picked up the phone. He scrolled through the short conversation, scratching his head as he couldn't see what was wrong. "I'm not getting it. She asked how you were feeling and said she loved you."

"That's just it Clyde." Lincoln turned to his friend. "I'm not sure if I feel the same way...I mean, my sisters and I used to have some good moments, but it kinda feels like it was meaningless in a way if they..." The Loud paused, scrunching his face a little, "Were willing to put me in the hospital. I'm just not sure if I still love my sisters...I guess part of me does, but not fully. I think I'll need to talk with Ms. Lopez about it..."

After that, Lincoln got up and went to his room. Clyde stared after him, closing his eyes as he shook his head in disbelief. "If only you knew Lincoln...if only you knew..."

* * *

Usually, Saturdays would be a relaxing time for the Louds as they got to unwind after a long week of work. Unless your name was Lynn Sr., who would spend his Saturdays fixing things in the house more often than he'd like to. However, today the whole family had some plan of action. Instead of another displeasing visit to Aunt Ruth, the patriarch took most of his daughters to the storage place so they could pick out (at most) two items to take back with them. Rita, on the other hand, was taking Lincoln to visit Dr. Fienstein to get his teeth checked. She was bringing Lily with her since the infant had whined about wanting to see Lincoln after being out of his presence for over a week. She could've taken Lincoln in earlier, but the matriarch wanted him to catch up with school first. It also helped that he was due for a regular check up anyway, but now it was a matter if he would require braces.

Surprisingly, there was no meeting concerning the hastily texted message Lincoln last sent to Lori, despite questions being asked. The eldest sibling decided to not speak about what it implied so her sisters wouldn't have their moods soured even further than usual. Then again, it shouldn't have come as a surprise if Lincoln didn't love them. Common sense dictates that you don't love something you're fearful of, like Leni with spiders. Didn't make that realization any less hurtful though. But, Lori did hope Lincoln would gain the courage to message her again soon.

The Loud girls were still rather indifferent about getting some of their possessions back, but they still picked out a few things. The only exceptions were Lori, Lana, and Lisa; the oldest sibling didn't have anything taken from her to be put away, whilst Lana wanted to visit the pet shelter to see if any of her old friends were still there. As for Lisa, she didn't have anything in mind she wanted to take back despite being asked twice.

The other girls meticulously selected their items. Leni got her sewing machine, Luna grabbed a basic guitar, (leaving her beloved axe behind), Luan brought out Mr. Coconuts (the dummy made a snide comment about being locked in a chest with no entertainment for a whole month, to which Luan replied that he didn't have to pay rent), Lucy took possession of her bust of Edwin, and Lola had a difficult time picking out anything. The six year old was still under the refusal to dress like a princess again, but in the end, she decided to bring back her go-kart in case she felt like driving it around. As for Lynn, she grabbed her boxing gloves and punching bag, knowing what to do with those.

Lynn Sr. gazed around the storage unit once it seemed like the girls weren't going to go back in. It was still roughly full with most of their things, as if they hardly made a dent in the removal process. "Alright girls, is that everything you want?"

The chorus of approval was once again undermined the by the apathetic tone it carried. Giving a sigh, the father locked up the unit before everyone began to pile into the van.

"Hey dad..." Lana spoke in a concerned tone. "Do you think Hops, Izzy, and El Diablo are still there?"

"Probably. I don't know anyone else who is into frogs, lizards, or snakes." The father took a few seconds to start the van before heading to their next destination.

In actuality, Lynn Sr. had no clue as to whether _any_ of Lana's pets were still there. Lana had roughly 20 different reptiles, some of which raised many questions as to how a six year old like herself was able to catch them. Lynn himself didn't try to answer that, nor think about it too much. It was just a thing Lana was able to do...somehow...but it would be a lie if Lynn said it didn't bother him that Lana was constantly handling dangerous animals at a young age. One of the worst things he feared as a father was that his little mudball would end up requiring a trip to the hospital after being bitten by something.

"For all we know, they might have died in captivity..." Lucy stated in her typical emotionless voice, her Edwin bust snuggled tight to her chest.

Lana slowly turned her head to the dark girl, giving a look that was the equivalent of a mother staring down a threat to her babies. The absolute last thing she wanted to hear was that one of her beloved pets died outside of her loving care. "Don't say that Lucy...just don't..."

"Just thinking about it is all." The emo continued, ignoring the look. "Trapped in a cage of sorrow, nothing but the pale sunlight to give you a sense of direction, concrete walls that seclude you from the outside world, with no one around as you begin to wither away...it's a great source of inspiration."

With her brows knitting into a broad V, Lana slipped off one of her shoes as her face started to become a red tint. "I said, knock. It. OFF!" Right as she finished her sentence, she threw it as hard as she could at the 8 year old. Lucy ducked behind the seat, the shoe bouncing off the window to her right with an audible bang.

Lynn Sr. looked at his daughters through the rear view mirror, seeing Leni struggling to keep Lana from jumping into the second row to beat her darkness loving sister. The 8 year old just sat calmly with a stoical face as the young tomboy clawed at her. "Lana, calm down! Lucy, apologized to your sister! You should know better than to act insensitive about this."

Lucy pursed her lips. "...Sigh..." She closed her eyes for a brief moment. "I'm sorry Lana..."

Lana's face slowly started to turn back to normal as she sat down. The six year old crossed her arms whilst grumbling something incoherent.

"Lana, what do you say?" Lynn Sr. spoke again in his authoritative voice.

"...Apology accepted..." Lana gazed at her father, her contempt clear as day. "This time..."

He almost felt like scolding her again for not being sincere, but one quick look down the road caused him to slow the van down. The animal shelter was just to the right. Just a passing glance at the exteriors of the place told the girls it was well passed its condemn date. The facility looked like it was built in the early 1900s; the brick walls were chipped, several windows were cracked, there was a sizable hornets nest on one corner that was _hopefully_ inactive, and even the paint was peeling in a few places.

"Wow. This place makes Aunt Ruth's house look like a mansion." Luan quipped.

"This place sure has seen better days brah..." Luna agreed.

Lana's eyes were wide open with her mouth agape ever so slightly. "You brought them _here?!"_

Lynn Sr. nodded nervously as he parked the car. "It was the only place that was willing to hold that many pets, and we couldn't afford any of the other places..."

The mud lover bit her lower lip to keep herself from screaming as she climbed over Leni and threw the van door open, running up to the front entrance. Unsure of how things would go, Lynn Sr. undid his seat belt. "I think the rest of you should stay in here. This miiight get a little ugly..." Shutting the door behind him, the other girls could see sweat forming on dad's head as he walked to the entrance.

Not one second after opening the door, the patriarch was met with a peculiar sight. Lana was hanging onto the edge of the front desk, just enough so her head would be visible, and asking a ton of questions while the desk clerk was giving a nonchalant stare. Then again, said clerk also looked like she didn't care much about anything really.

"Come on! He's gotta still be here! Any of them!" Lana's voice was growing more desperate by the second as her patience drained.

Lynn pulled his daughter off the desk and held her in his arms. "Sorry about that. Now see, I brought a large amount of reptiles here a month ago, and we're trying to see if any of them are still here."

"What's your name sir?" The employee asked in a bored tone.

"Lynn Loud."

The woman moved her chair over to the computer to pull up a few files. She hummed a short tune whilst sorting through a list of names arranged in alphabetical order. "Loud...Loud...ok, here it is." The woman opened it, taking a moment to scratch her hair. "Yeah...see, most of the pets you brought here were given away to other people. The only ones that remained were some snake, a frog, and a gecko."

Lana's lips dropped into a small frown, small tears forming on the edges of her eyes. "Are...a-are they still alive?"

The lady gave a low shrug. "It says the frog and gecko are still here, but last week we had to put the snake down because it ate a few of the other animals, then bit one of the other guys when he tried to handle it."

 _We had to put the snake down..._

Those 7 words pierced Lana's heart like a bullet going through wet paper. The color drained out of her face as that last sentence ran through her mind repeatedly. She heard many stories about what could happen to shelter animals if no one wanted them or they became too much to handle, but not _once_ did Lana believe that such a thing could happen to her best friends. They were well behaved and wouldn't harm anyone, especially those she was close with. The handywoman had a lot of reptiles as pets, but she always kept a very close bond with El Diablo, Izzy, and Hops. Not a day went by that Lana wasn't worried that they might not survive in a shelter, and she hoped at the very least that her friends may find another family to stay with so they wouldn't be stuck here forever. Sadly, it seems one of them didn't make it.

Lana could still remember the day she first found the little constrictor. She was only 3 at the time, playing around in the garden of the house while her mother was tending to the flowers. Lana always claimed she wanted to help, but Rita knew she just wanted to get dirt on her skin. The matriarch didn't always enjoy having to wash the toddler once she was finished, but found her playful nature too cute to resist saying no. Back then, Lana wouldn't have met Hops or Izzy until a few months and a year later, respectively.

The toddler was playing around a few potted flowers when she noticed a small tail sticking out from a hole on the side of one pot. With her curiosity at an all time high, Lana picked the pot up to find a snake no more than a few inches in length. Upon being exposed, it curled into a defensive posture whilst hissing a warning. Lana wasn't deterred in the slightest, more fascinated by an animal she had hardly ever seen. She tried to pet it, which caused the snake lash out and bite her. Not even this act of aggression stopped the toddler, despite the stinging pain in her hand. Because the snake wasn't venomous, there was no risk of Lana being poisoned. Laying a hand on the snake, it managed to calm down once it realized it wasn't going to be harmed.

Lana then scooped up the snake and showed it to her mother, who immediately demanded that she put it down and let it be. Sadly, Lana had to obey and let the serpent wander back into the foliage, but it wouldn't be the last time they saw each other. A few days later, Lana was playing outside with her twin when both heard a hissing sound. Upon seeing the snake, Lola immediately screamed and ran off, but Lana had a sense of familiarity with this reptile. Upon closer inspection, she saw it was the same one she set free not too long ago. Knowing how her parents would act, Lana decided to keep the snake in secret, feeding and caring for it like a mother would to a child. The tomboy even gave it the name, El Diablo. She named him that due to how fiesty the snake would get if it wasn't handled properly.

Like all secrets though, hers eventually came out; but Lana wasn't about to let her parents tell her to get rid of her friend. After a long discussion about having a pet, the parents decided to let her keep the snake so long as she took full responsibility for it. The months of taking care of her snake allowed Lana to grow an interest in reptiles, and she later met her two best friends some months down the road. From then on, Lana would become curious about nearly all types of animals, but she still preferred reptiles.

Now...the one snake who helped ignite Lana's interest was gone; he probably spent his last few moments wondering where she was, and why she wasn't coming for him. Water pooled at the bottom of the girl's eyes, her lower lip quivering as the fact she'd never see El Diablo again swelled in her gut. However, that depression was soon turning into something else. The young girl's face started turning a deep shade of red, her lips parting to reveal two rows of clenched teeth. Tears started to leak out of the corners of her eyes before she gave a primal yell and attempted to lunge at the shelter employee.

Lynn Sr. was quick to see his daughter's rage and held her tight. The six year old squirmed in his grip as she tried to get loose, nearly succeeding a few times before the patriarch reaffirmed his hold on her. Despite her size, Lana could easily use something as big as a heavy duty pipe wrench, and have enough strength to use it as a weapon if she felt like it. The woman gave a surprised look for a few seconds before shrugging it off. She left the desk to go retrieve the two pets the Louds were referring to while letting the father deal with his clearly pissed off daughter. Seeing she was unable to reach her target, Lana turned her ire on her father.

The tomboy punched and kicked at Lynn's chest with as much energy that she had. The patriarch groaned as his daughter kept pelting him with hits, but he knew she would eventually wear herself out. After raising 11 kids with different personalities and physical traits, the father had to keep track of how long it would take for a Loud to simmer down if they started having a tantrum. In Lana's case, it was 20 seconds.

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO BRING HIM _HERE_ OF ALL PLACES?! WHY COULDNT YOU JUST LET HIM GO BACK INTO THE WILD?! O-OR EVEN TAKE HIM TO A PET STORE?!" Lana yelled into her father's chest as she continued to wail on him. The six year old opened her palm before repeatedly smacking it against Lynn, each hit decreasing in strength. "I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU!"

The man withstood the assault his daughter gave him, even though he really wanted to put her down to give his aching chest time to heal. Just as he thought, 20 seconds had passed and Lana was now a sniveling mess in his arms. She just hung limp in his grasp, doing nothing but staining Lynn's sweater with her tears. In the end, Lana knew it wasn't her father's fault. While he was partially responsible, much of this was her own doing. Her beating on Lincoln as much as she did caused her punishment to happen; to lose most of her pets save for two. While she could have never seen it coming, one thing was perfectly clear in the little girl's mind: _she_ was the reason her first friend is dead.

It was a hard pill to swallow, and Lana knew there was nothing she could do to change that...

Outside, the rest of the girls were growing a bit anxious. Their father and Lana had been in that derelict building for over 20 minutes; it probably wasn't going well either since the siblings swore they heard Lana screaming not too long ago.

"Either Lana is excited to get her gross frog back, or she's upset that he was sold." Lola said to no one in particular.

"I'm sure it couldn't be that bad, right?" Leni asked, glancing back at her sisters.

"Statistically speaking, the chances of Lana obtaining some of her pets are..." Lisa paused, doing the math in her head. She extended a few fingers for reference before finally getting a solution. "Approximately 35%. And that's because they might have been sold since reptilians are one of the easiest creatures to obtain for first time pet owners due to their size and management."

"Wouldn't that be cats and dogs?" Lynn stated. "I mean, it wasn't that hard raising Cliff and Charles."

Lola furrowed her brows. "Tell that to my bed sheets..."

"You'd think that, but a Felis Catus and Canis Lupus Familiaris require more upkeep and maintenance than a reptilian." Lisa pushed her glasses further up her on her head to scratch the skin under her left eye. "For the most part, you just need to keep them warm and in a cage suited to their natural environment."

"How would you know? I thought you were more interested in chemistry than biology." Lynn pointed out.

"Correction: I'm heavily invested in both. I've just had more time to look at the biological spectrum over the past month."

"They're coming back." Lori spoke, seeing her father carrying Lana as well as a cage that held both Izzy and Hops. The girls grew worried when they noticed the distraught look the young tomboy had, as well as the pink tint in her eyes.

"Guess Lana didn't take _something_ well..." Lori quipped.

Lucy studied Lana's face, her eyes widening a bit. The goth lover gave a heartfelt sigh. "I know that look. It's that of someone mourning for another..." She curled up in her seat, hugging Edwin even tighter; the image of her depressed sister was practically engraved in her head.

The 8 year old was only joking when she talked about the handywoman's pets dying in the shelter. She would never wish that on anyone, but to see that her joke turned into an actual truth made her soul weep for her sister. "I regret everything I said about her pets..."

* * *

Some time around two that afternoon, Ronnie Anne made her up to the front porch of the Loud abode. Instead of wearing her typical hoodie, she had on a plain white t-shirt due to the increasing rise in temperature. And she expected Lynn would make her sweat, so she just threw on something she didn't mind getting dirty.

On instinct, she reached for the doorbell, only to pause when her hand was an inch away from touching it. Lynn said something about that button always being on the fritz, shocking anyone who pressed it. The Hispanic girl felt lucky that memory came up, or she'd have deal with getting rid of aftershocks in her body. Moving her hand away from the bell, she balled it up before moving it to the door frame. Right as she was about to knock, Ronalda nearly hit Lori in the stomach as the teen opened the door.

"Gah!" Lori flinched backwards a little before regaining her composure. "Oh, hey Ronnie Anne. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here for Lynn. She told me to meet her here around this time for...whatever it is she wanted to do." The 11 year old shrugged.

Lori squinted her eyes, folding her arms. "You guys aren't going to fight again, are you?"

 _"I really hope not..."_ Ronalda grimaced inwardly, her forehead tingling a little as the memory of that knockout punch came to bear. "No. Just to talk, I guess." The tomboy folded her arms, gaining her own doubtful stare. "What about you? You looked like you were in a rush."

Lori unfolded her arms, leaning slightly on the door frame. "I'm going to a..." She paused, unsure if the people she would talk to could be considered friends, seeing that she had none to speak of right now. "I mean, someone's house. Anyway, Lynn is in the backyard, and please don't try to start an arguement with her. No one is in the mood for it."

Ronnie Anne rolled her shoulders before moving past the teen. "Oh, and before you go, I have one last question."

"What?" Ronalda turned her head back to Lori.

"Has...has Bobby mentioned anything about me lately?" Lori's voice was a mix of worry and longing.

"Mmmm..." The tomboy hummed, looking up at the ceiling. "Not _lately,_ but I know that whatever he has to say about you probably isn't anything good..."

Lori pursed her lips as she breathed deeply through her nose. _"Of course he still hates me...why did I even ask?..."_ The blonde bemoaned internally before turning around, shutting the door behind her.

Ronalda stared at the door for a few seconds before working her way through the house to find the back door. In a way, she felt a little sorry for Lori. Her and Roberto were pretty close, so much that it was overly mushy and annoying. But this wasn't something Lori nor her sisters could be easily forgiven for, and Bobby didn't want to be involved with someone who would beat their own sibling over a minor mistake. Still, Ronnie Anne knew that Bobby was still hurting for Lori to some degree. She occasionally caught him browsing over photos of them on dates on his phone.

Walking into the kitchen, the tomboy couldn't help but notice how quiet it was in the house. She could hear some commotion going on upstairs, including what sounded like faint guitar playing.

"Huh. Thought this place would be a lot louder." Ronnie Anne half-joked. The sound of chains being rattled brought her attention to a window in the kitchen overlooking the backyard.

Outside, Lynn was sitting on a tree branch as she tied the chain of her punching bag to it. She was dressed in her own workout attire, wearing a black shirt with white stripes with black shorts to match. The ponytail that hung on the back of her head was folded into its scrunchy as well. After a few tugs, she confirmed it was secure. The creaking of the back door made her glance towards the house, finding just who she wanted to see.

"Hey Ronnie." Lynn jumped off, doing a small roll when she landed before standing up right. "Glad you made it." The teen flashed her teeth, letting Ronnie Anne see the empty spaces where her teeth used to be. The Hispanic girl flashed her own grin, showing the one open space on her rows of teeth.

"Not like I had anything else to do...any reason why it's so quiet in there?" She jerked a thumb back towards the house.

"You mean besides what you already know?" Ronnie Anne gave a dull stare like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Lynn just rolled with it, turning to grabbed a pair of soft hand pads on the ground. "Got some of our stuff back, including a couple of Lana's pets. One of them died though, so Lucy is planning for the funeral. Ms. Queen of Mud is probably still lying in bed right now with Lola trying to comfort her." She faced Ronalda. "So, you brought the tape?"

The Hispanic girl dug into her pocket and pulled out some medical tape. "This was all I could get from my house." She casually tossed it around in the air. "Wasn't gonna ask mom cause I know she'd want to know what I needed it for."

"You'll need it to make sure your hands aren't aching as much when we're done for the day." Lynn slipped the pads on, flexing her fingers inside of them to get used to the feeling. Normally, she would have Lincoln hold them for her, but given the circumstances...

"Whatever." Ronalda stretched out a piece of tape before beginning to wrap it around her hand.

Lynn watched her, the teen's lips curling into a frown upon noticing how loose the tape was and its placement. She took the pads off and tucked them into her armpit. "You're doing it wrong."

The younger tomboy raised a brow. "What are you talking about?"

The jock gently took her hand and started to unwrap the tape. "One, it's not tight enough. Two, you're wrapping it too close to your fingers." Taking the roll of tape, Lynn stretched out another piece and started to wrap it on the girl's hand. "You want it to be tight just enough where it's firmly wrapped to your hand, but your finger movement isn't restricted. And at the same time, it prevents the skin of your palms from taking damage."

Ronnie Anne frowned as she attempted to move her fingers, noting how stiff they felt from the pressure. "It feels tight enough already..."

"Just keep flexing your fingers and you'll get used to it." Lynn then moved behind Ronnie Anne, who was busy with getting used to the adjustment, and grabbed the girl's ponytail.

The 11 year old went wide-eyed as her hand snapped upwards and pulled the hair out of Lynn's grasp. She wheeled around, glaring daggers at the sporty Loud. "What do you think you're doing?!"

Lynn gave a dull expression. "Fixing your hair?"

"What the heck is wrong with my hair?" She released the ponytail before folding her arms. "I like it the way it is, thank you. And you aren't exactly a hair stylist."

Lynn gave a wide grin. "Tell that to the time I nearly ripped your head off the first time we met. Like it or not Ronnie Anne, if you're going to get into a fight, you don't want the person you're fighting to be able to grab something sticking out that they can use for leverage. That includes long hair, loose clothing like your favorite hoodie, or similar. Why do you think I had an easy time beating your head in the lunch room? I even tied mine up just to show you how it's done." Lynn turned her head slightly and jerked her thumb to the short stub of hair that was visible.

Ronalda grinned a little as she gave a low chortle. "If it weren't for the eyelashes, I'd say someone would mistake you for a boy."

The jock narrowed her eyes. "At least I know how to fight _properly._ "

Ronalda lost her grin as irritation replaced the bravado she upheld. "I made a name for myself in my grade for a reason, and it's not because I'm a peacemaker."

"Sure." Lynn huffed, shifting her weight a little. "Fighting against other amateurs is one thing, but fighting against _pros_ is another. In case you forget what happened on Monday, you would have been off a lot worse than you would think if I was serious about fighting you."

Ronnie Anne bit her lip to hold her tongue while fiercely glaring at Lynn. As much as she wanted to badmouth the meatheaded sports fanatic, and while she still hated to admit it, Ms. Sporty still had a point. In most cases, Ronnie Anne knew she could one hit punch a couple of would-be bullies, though if anyone had some knowledge on how to trade blows correctly, it would be a somewhat long battle of endurance. Granted, the few fights she had been in helped build the rep she had right now; but if she could end a fight as quick as snapping her fingers, that would do a lot of good not only for her, but for Lincoln as well if he doesn't get over his fears any time soon.

Without uttering a word, Ronalda turned around before pointing towards her ponytail. Lynn smirked a little before stepping up and fiddled with the girl's hair. Since Ronnie Anne had longer hair, Lynn couldn't just fold it into her scrunchy like she could. So, she formed into a small little bun on the center of the Hispanic tomboy's head.

"There. That wasn't so hard was it?" Lynn joked. She nearly went into a fit of giggles when Ronalda flipped the bird at her. Slipping the pads back on, she patted them together so they'd make a loud popping sound. Crouching slightly, Lynn dug her feet into the ground for what she had planned next. "Alright, now give me your best punch!"

Ronalda raised a brow, putting a hand to her hip. "My _best_ punch?"

"Yeah. I need to see how strong you are when you're angry so I know what I need to work with. Just think about something that makes you so mad, that you want to demolish a wall."

The 11 year old pursed her lips, staring off into space. "Well, I did throw my nightstand out the window that same night I found out Lincoln was in the hospital..."

"Pff, weak! Nightstands aren't that heavy."

"It still had my clothes in it."

"Well, when I'm done with you, you'll be able to lift a full dresser filled with clothes. Now, concentrate." Lynn ordered. "Use that anger to fuel the force of your hits."

Ronalda hummed, thinking back to how she felt that evening. Her blood was boiling, face red with fury, had an enormous need to beat the Louds into paste as she thought what they did was on purpose or they felt no sympathy. Then she thought about her fight with Lynn, how her admitting she broke Lincoln's arm sent her over the edge. The girl's face started to contort a little as that anger was building, but then it began to taper off as Ronalda thought about what happened within the last two weeks. She had a better understanding of how the Loud siblings really felt, and while the 11 year old still hadn't forgiven them, she wasn't necessarily angry at them anymore.

 _"Dang it Ronalda, focus! You're supposed to be angry, not mellow!"_ The Queen of Pain hissed internally.

Searching through her memories, Ronnie Anne looked past recent events to find something much older that still held significance. Diving back to a few years ago, she came across a rather bad memory of a certain incident in 2nd grade. It was coming to her just like it was yesterday: the bullies, the food throwing, the humiliation, and the crying. The Hispanic girl's left eye twitched as she began to shiver, with Lynn growing a little confused as to what she was doing. A small tear escaped Ronnie Anne before that emotion Lynn was looking for finally began to manifest. The Queen of Pain started to grind her teeth while her face became a reddish tint. Her hands formed into tight fists, and that's when those eyes filled with fury settled into Lynn. A low growl escaped the Hispanic girl as if she was ready to pounce. Snorting slightly, Lynn raised the pads up, silently hoping Ronnie Anne targeted those and not her face.

In the span of 15 seconds, Ronalda ran forward with a hate-filled roar and pounded away at the pads. Lynn's entire body shook from the force of each hit, the sound of fist meeting pad reverberating around the yard. To Lynn's surprise, Ronnie Anne even through a kick into the mix, although it was a little sloppy in her opinion. As soon as it started, it stopped with Ronnie Anne landing one last hit to Lynn's padded hands. The younger tomboy panted as sweat dripped from her forehead, her arms falling limp to her knees to keep herself up right as the cost of overexerting herself took its toll.

Lynn patted Ronalda on the head with her padded hands. "Not bad. I only said _one_ punch, but I was impressed a bit. But, if you get tired that easily after that little display, then we really need to work on your endurance. Also, your form could use some work too."

"...My hands hurt..." Ronalda finally spoke.

"If you didn't have that tape on, they'd be hurting even more. And speaking of which, first thing we're gonna do is start with how you should be punching without throwing yourself out too much. Hang out here for a sec, I'll go get us some water." Lynn finished as she ditched the pads and went into the kitchen.

Ronalda brought her hands to her hips before pulling her upper body up straight. The 11 year old couldn't shake the feeling that she was gonna be put through some sort of boot-camp-type training. She stared up at the clouds moving through the sky. _"What the heck did I sign up for?..."_ The Queen of Pain uttered in Spanish.

 **A/N: Looks like Lincoln has another topic to talk about with Dr. Lopez during his next appointment. Might be a bit of a running gag concerning how it seems like things are looking up, but then a curve ball comes and throws everything off. But, this isn't the last time Lincoln will text his sisters, seeing nothing bad happened to him. And I almost feel bad for putting Lana in a bad spot with having one of her pets killed. It's a thing that happens quite often in our time, and sadly she had to experience it. I still personally believe that girl had too many pets for her own good.**

 **Also, you may have picked out a couple things in this chapter that are related to Talespinner's side story Ace Observations. We both discuss how he can line things up with my story, but the Aces won't appear much in this story outside of mentions and cameos.**

 **Lastly, Lynn has finally started to train Ronnie Anne, and she's gonna go through some hell if she wants to be as strong as Lynn.**


	29. A Second Chance

**A/N: To recap, Lori sees that Lincoln's love for his sisters has faded _at best_ , Lana lost a pet, and Ronnie Anne has starting her training. All the while, Lincoln himself is still debating about his own thoughts with his siblings, wondering if he should do more to get in touch with them, or continue to keep his distance despite being fed new information about his fears as a whole. **

**But before we get into that, there's a second plot that hasn't been updated in quite some time. So, let's look into the world of Ace Savvy to see what the heroes have been up to recently.**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

Howard hummed as he stirred some seasonings and meat in a mixing bowl, preparing lunch for his family and Lincoln. Once you got a taste for the man's crab cake sandwiches, you were hooked forever. However, the sole Loud boy was still absent.

Glancing at the clock, Howard raised a brow. "Huh, thought they'd be back by now. It didn't take that long to figure out when Clyde would need braces."

All of the McBrides were aware that Lincoln went to the dentist, though it seems it was taking longer than normal to just check the damage done to the boy's mouth. He left with his mother close to 11, and it was just after 2 PM. As if to answer the case of the missing Loud, a knock at the front door got everyone's attention.

Harold walked up and opened the door, seeing Rita carrying Lincoln in her arms. The 11 year old had his arms wrapped around his mother's neck and shoulder as if he was still a toddler, and faint snores could be heard from him every few seconds. "Hello Rita." He smiled. "You guys sure took longer than usual."

"Yeah, sorry about that." Rita walked inside, being careful to not let the sides of the door brush against Lincoln. "We had our appointment, but then it was discovered that something else needed to be done about his teeth." The matriarch shifted Lincoln a little to get a better grip on her son. "Sorry, but is there some place I can put him down? I can't carry Lincoln like I used to." She chuckled a little.

"Sure, sure." Harold guided her to the couch and arranged the pillows a bit.

Once he was done, Rita lied Lincoln on the couch and removed the boy's shoes. Lincoln must've felt himself lying on something soft, seeing that he immediately adjusted his position a bit before lying still. Rita's heart fluttered a bit, giving a warm smile before kissing her son on his forehead. As a mother, it was still painful to not have her little boy back home with the family; but at least he appeared to be getting better.

The mother's smile dropped as she stared at her sleeping child. "I hope he doesn't have a nightmare again..." Rita stated solemnly.

"If it helps, he hasn't screamed himself awake in almost a week. He hasn't said much about having any nightmares either." Harold replied.

"I guess, that helps..." Rita answered back, gently brushing a hand through Lincoln's hair.

"So, he fell asleep in the car again?" Howard called from the kitchen.

Rita shook her head. "No, he was asleep before that." The blonde glanced over at the clock, making a mental note that her family should be back home by now. "While we were in David's office, he found out that two of Lincoln's molars had been shifted when he was...hit in the face a few times..." Rita hesitantly answered. Saying that her daughters flat out assaulted Lincoln wasn't an easy thing to do, even if it was the truth. "They were going to come in misaligned, so we had to remove them." The matriarch reached into her purse and took out a small plastic bag that contained a bottle of pills as well as some gauze sponges. She handed it to Harold. "These are his pain killers. Make sure he takes them every 6 hours. And make sure he replaces the gauze in his mouth every 3 hours."

"Can do." Harold nodded, placing the bag on a little table next to the couch.

"Excuse me for asking this Mrs. Loud, but if Lincoln was asleep while getting his teeth removed...he didn't have any fits or sudden movements while he was on the table did he?" Clyde pointed out, wincing a bit just imagining his friend tossing and turning on the operating chair and one of the doctors accidentally pulling something that didn't need to come out.

"Thankfully, no. In fact, he's been out of it since we left the office. I did wake him for a minute so he'd know we were done; but even then, Lincoln was barely awake."

"Phew.." Clyde wiped some sweat off his forehead. "Thank goodness for that." The boy paused to glance at Lincoln. "He's definitely getting braces, right?"

"Literally." Rita replied. The honking of a horn was heard outside, making the woman get up from her seat. "That must be Lynn. Sorry to keep my visit short, but we still have to go grocery shopping."

"No worries. We'll make sure Lincoln takes his medicine once he's up and about." Harold opened the door for her. "Take care Rita."

The Loud matriarch waved goodbye before Harold shut the door.

"Do you think Lincoln will be up in time for lunch?" Howard asked, still mixing the ingredients.

"I'm afraid not Howey. Remember when we took Clyde to get his teeth looked at, and he needed to be put under just to let the doctor work?"

"Oh, I remember. The poor thing was so afraid of sharp tools..."

"It's ok dad. I'm mostly over that now." Clyde stated, walking back down the hall. "I'll make sure Lincoln gets a sandwich when he's up."

The two fathers nodded before getting back into their own things.

* * *

As the McBrides were getting back into their Saturday routine, Lincoln's mind began to wonder as he continued with his anesthesia-induced nap. His brain had been drawing blanks for the last hour or so, only feeling his body being moved about in his tired state. Only when he was placed on something soft did Lincoln's brain begin to build another dream for him to play in (or die).

The Loud boy's eyes moved behind their lids before he slowly began to open them. Lincoln's vision was blurred upon first fully opening his pupils, only noting a yellowish light shining down upon him. He raised a hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight piercing through the leaves on a tree branch the boy sat under. Wiping the sleep from his face, Lincoln sat up and looked around with a brow raised. The white-haired child found himself sitting at the edge of a forest up on a hill that overlooked the outskirts of Royal Woods. It was quite a beautiful spot, particularly since one had a good view of the sunset during the latter half of the day.

Lincoln scratched his head, wondering what he was doing out there. Last thing he remembered was his mouth feeling numb from the tooth removal. To make things even more confusing, Lincoln realized he was using his _left_ arm, the broken one, to scratch his head. Glancing down, Lincoln saw he was still dressed in his usual attire. However, upon looking at his arm, Lincoln saw some notable scarring. The boy's eyes went wide as the past few days finally returned to the forefront of his brain. He told Lady Ace to come meet him at the spot he arranged for their rendezvous a few hours ago. He also went alone so the meeting would be a tad less awkward for his other two allies, given he had revealed he had himself a girlfriend. Lincoln arrived at the location just before dawn, but she had not.

"Guess I must've fell asleep." Lincoln yawned, standing up to stretch seconds later. "Thought Ronnie Anne would've been here by now." The 11 year old gave a small frown. "Hope she didn't get into trouble..."

Lincoln's blood ran cold the moment he heard the sound of a pistol's hammer being pulled back; and judging from how loud it was, the gun was just inches from the back of his head. "I'm not the one whose in trouble right now." A tomboyish feminine voice answered him.

Without sparing a second, Lincoln grabbed the wrist of his assailant before flinging her over his shoulder. He didn't have time to identify his attacker as a foot was swinging towards his face. The boy crossed both his arms to block the attack, his body shuddering a little from the impact. He then grabbed the foot of his opponent and reeled her in, having a fist ready to connect with her face. Unfortunately, Lincoln's opponent saw it coming and pushed his arm to the side just enough that it grazed her hair. When close, she reached out and pressed her hand on his windpipe. Lincoln gagged from the sudden interruption to his airway, forcing him to release the grip he had. He was then blinded when he was given a soft poke to the eyes, followed by a few hits to the noggin while Lincoln was trying to ease the pain to his sight. Stuck in a daze, the boy was literally pulled out of it as his opponent grabbed the collar of his shirt and reeled him in close. Lincoln shut his eyes as he anticipated being socked in his nose.

Instead, the Loud boy was caught off guard once again as he felt something soft being pressed onto his lips. The boy opened his eyes to find himself staring into a pair of calm, hazel colored eyes. The girl took her lips off his, a small pop emitting from the separation.

Ronnie Anne gave a wide grin. "Gotcha Lame-O." The tomboy was dressed in her purple hoodie as opposed to her crime fighting outfit. The hoodie was unzipped, revealing that her gun was in a holster strapped to her abdomen.

Lincoln's face became as red as a Christmas ornament. _"I'm_ really _g-glad Clyde and Lily aren't here r-right now..."_ He stammered mentally.

The look on his face made Ronalda cackle a bit. She released his shirt and put a hand on her hip. "For someone who claimed to have been nearly beaten to death, you don't look half as bad as I imagined."

Lincoln shook his head, his blush dying down little by little. "I-If it weren't for Clyde sneaking back into our old base, I'd still be confined to a bed right now..." He folded his arms, gaining a stern tone. "And I didn't exactly like being snuck up on like that, you know."

"Aw, come on Lincoln." The Latina feigned innocence. "You usually like it when I surprise you."

"Ronalda, I had been attacked by 9 girls just two days ago and nearly _died_..." The Loud raised his voice a bit to make his irritation clear. The Hispanic's smile faltered into a frown, to which Lincoln immediately dropped the glare. He gave a little sigh. "I'm sorry..." He stared at the ground. "I just don't feel like getting attacked by another girl right now..."

"It's fine. I should've known better than to try that on you considering what you told me earlier." Ronnie Anne put her hands in her pockets. "I was just hoping that might cheer you up some. You know I care about you, right?"

Lincoln managed a little smile of his own as he looked up at her. "If you didn't, you wouldn't have kissed me just now."

Ronalda's cheeks became a little heated. "Your idea of a rendezvous point was the very spot we had our first...you know..." She rolled her shoulders, casting a warm smile back at him.

"Knowing my sisters...they would've meddled, and I didn't want them to ruin anything." Lincoln gently grasped her wrist, which Ronnie Anne slid back a little until her hand was in his. The two kids stared at each other in locked bliss, their heads slowly moving towards one another. If they were about to share another kiss, the moment was interrupted when a younger presence made herself known.

Lily cleared her throat, making the older kids glance at her in surprise. Like them, she was dressed in her regular attire; it consisted of a purple button shirt and skirt, along with her hair coming to a stop just above her shoulders. Like Lincoln and Lola, she had a visible cowlick on the back of her head. The 7 year old was casually leaning against a tree, and had to keep herself from outright laughing because of the shocked faces her brother and his girlfriend were giving. "Did I interrupt anything?" She said with a smug smile.

"W-When did you get here?" Lincoln asked nervously.

"Seven minutes ago. It wasn't like I'd let you go out here alone after last time. Plus," Lily's smile became brighter. "I wanted to see who my future _sister-in-law_ would be." The little blonde gave a hard glare at Ronnie Anne. "When I saw she pointed a gun at you, I was about to jump in because I thought _they_ sent her." Her gaze softened into a loving smile. "But then I saw you guys kiss! It was so cuuuuute!" Lily had her hands on her cheeks as she squealed in delight. The older kids gave awkward glances at anywhere but Lily, their cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. Lily put her hands up as if she was looking through a camera. "It's not hard to tell that Ronnie Anne is Lady Ace-sassin. I mean, you keep your hair the same."

Ronalda's eye twitched a little before she let out a growl. It wasn't that of anger, but more of a front to hide her evergrowing embarrassment, as if being red in the face was any indication.

Wanting to change the subject, and in spite of having the moment ruined, Lincoln turned back to the flustered tomboy. "Anyway...what were you doing that took you hours to get here?" He gave the gun totter a weary look. "You weren't trying to hunt down the rest of the Full House, were you?"

Ronnie Anne looked back at Lincoln, a nervous smile creeping up her face. "Maaaaybe?"

The boy gave a small frown. "Ronalda!"

The sharpshooter raised her hands in defense. "It was only for 30 minutes. And I didn't find them anyways, so calm down." She folded her arms. "I stopped at home to get a few things that would be useful, checked on my mom while she was asleep, visited my brother..." Ronnie Anne's voice grew quiet. "And I visited Papi at the cemetery..."

Lincoln and Lily knew what that meant. While the Louds lost their parents during an outing, Ronnie Anne lost her father while he was on the line of duty. It was the main reason the Hispanic girl took up fighting crime in the first place, along with her older brother being in the hospital due to a robbery attempt at the store he worked at. The Louds may have it rough with family ties right now, but Ronalda just had her mother to come home to.. When they weren't busy fighting crime, Lincoln could tell Ronnie Anne was still pretty torn about her family being cut in two despite her attempts to hide it.

Heck, the Louds themselves barely dodged the bullet of being put into foster care with Lori, Leni, and Luna constantly working to keep the bills in check. Lisa also landed a job at the university to help even things out, but it was never the same without Rita and Lynn Senior. Lincoln could only imagine how his parents must feel right now with the turmoil their children are dealing with currently...

"Aside from that, if you were planning to confront your sisters at some point, I figured I'd bring the big guns." Ronnie Anne walked past them and grabbed a backpack she left hanging by the tree Lincoln was sitting against. Unzipping the biggest pocket, she reached in and produced two particular handguns.

One was a silver Desert Eagle with Hispanic markings engraved on the side, while the other was a large revolver. More specifically, it was an S&W Model 500. Lincoln recognized that gun; it belonged to Ronnie Anne's father. Apparently, Mr. Santiago liked to collect vintage revolvers while he was in the RWPD. Unlike most revolvers which typically shoot .44 ammunition, this gun was made to handle .50 cal magnum rounds; they were much like the ammunition you'd typically see in machine guns.

Small beads of sweat formed at the back of Lincoln and Lily's heads. "Don't you think that's a little overkill?" The Loud boy asked.

"I don't think you have room to talk about 'overkill' when you were literally beaten into the floor in a vastly outnumbered fight, Lincoln." The Latina retorted, stowing the guns. "Plus, I know one or two of your sisters are very resistant to small arms. Those two guns would help stop them in their tracks." Ronnie Anne gave a short pause, looking back at the city. "I know I said I'd kill them..." She turned back to the pair. "But, I won't unless you say otherwise. I know what it's like losing family, and I don't want to make yours any smaller..."

"Thanks Ronnie Anne...though I still don't know how exactly we can even take them on." Lincoln began to pace around. "They still outnumber us nearly 3 to 1, and we'd have to be well coordinated because that's how they took me down." The boy furrowed his brows. "I know Lisa was the one who organized them, because she was the only person who didn't fight me directly. Otherwise, I was able to handle myself; so if we can keep her occupied, then it shouldn't be too much of a problem."

"Sounds nice, but we're still outnumbered if you think that's still a problem." Ronnie Anne pointed out.

Lincoln stopped pacing, his frown growing slightly. "Right..."

Lily pursed her lips, tapping her foot on the ground. Her eyes shifted about as her mind sorted through a list of people they could call up to help them fight off the other members of their family. In a few seconds, her eyes widened a bit as a smile formed. "I think I know of a few people who could help."

Both 11 year olds glanced at her. "You do?" Lincoln asked.

" _We_ do." Lily replied, making Lincoln even more confused.

* * *

In real time, things at the Loud house hadn't changed much within the last hour. Ronnie Anne and Lynn kept practicing punches, with Lynn continuing to give pointers to the younger girl. Currently, both tomboys were sitting on the couch; Ronalda greedily chugged down her water bottle as sweat dripped down the sides of her face. Her arms felt like they were going to fall off at any second, to which Lynn stated that it was a good thing. They moved inside to take a break, largely because Lynn didn't want Ronalda to fall out from exhaustion. The two girls met with Leni in the kitchen, who offered to make a smoothie for them since the fashionista happened to be drinking one herself.

Upstairs, Luna was lazily strumming her guitar. She didn't have any songs in mind; it just helped ease the boredom she felt. Luan was busy having a conversation with Mr. Coconuts about what happened, with the dummy even slapping her a few times for being a dunce and berating her. This led to a somewhat comical (from Luna's perspective) argument between the two before the comedian ultimately put the dummy in a box; Mr. Coconuts begged to be let out and that he was sorry, stating he developed claustrophobia while in storage.

Lucy was in her and Lynn's room, still putting together arrangements for El Diablo's funeral. She had done pet funerals before, but she wanted this one to be special for Lana's sake. Since the body had already been disposed of, she sorted through the family photo album in hope of finding a lone picture of the snake. After all, if Lana loved him so much, surely she would've taken some pictures of him at some point. Sadly, she didn't find any in the family album, but she did find quite a few good pictures in a separate scrapbook Lana put together. The gothic child also made a note to ask around to see if she could get some of Lana's former pets to attend; tracking down their owners would still be a hassle in itself though, since the mud lover had over 20 pets alone.

As for the twins, it was easily the most dreary place in the house right now. Lana was lying on her bed, giving Lucy a challenge at being the mopiest girl in the house as she gave a lifeless stare at the ceiling. Her cap was on the floor, her overalls only had one strap hooked up, and her hair wasn't in its usual pigtail fashion, leaving it to hang right around her shoulders. The pink eyes and dried up snot was a clear indication that she had another crying fit. Lana had been in this state ever since the family returned home, and Lola did the best she could to help her twin. The former pageant queen even took the risk of bringing mud into the house, hoping it would spark _something_ within her; Lana didn't even spare a glance. Unable to figure out what else she could do, the younger twin left the room, hoping that some alone time might help Lana. During that time, the mud lover let Hops and Izzy out of their cages prior so they could roam free, something El Diablo would never be able to do again.

Hops jumped onto the bed and nuzzled her cheek. Lana turned her heads towards him and brought the frog close as if he'd disappear within seconds. Izzy was who knows where, probably crawling around in the vents again to sort out small insects. The little amphibian could feel her pain; after all, over half of the other animals under Lana's care had been like brothers and sisters to him. It was already bad enough that Lana's tearful face was the last thing Hops saw before being sent to the animal shelter, and seeing each of his friends being given away made Hops wonder if he would be next. In a way, he was thankful that Lana came back for him; but now he was effectively the last friend Lana truly had. Not to discredit Izzy, but she tended to keep to herself most of the time.

A knock at the door grabbed their attention. Lisa poked her head in, glancing around before spotting her depressed sibling. Lana raised her head, giving the young prodigy her attention for two seconds before lying straight again. Taking that as a sign to come in, Lisa fully pushed open the door.

"Excuse my sudden entrance Lana, but I require your assistance with a curious endeavor."

"Like what?..." Lana managed to squeak out.

"I recall that during our revelation meeting about our therapeutic sessions, Lola was quite concerned about your gross habits and how they may affect your overall health. Normally, most of us have ignored this and passed it on as you being in some weird phase or whatnot. However, my curiosity has become perplexed by this when taking into account the number of hostile germs in a common human dumpster, and what disease carrying animals you've been around."

Lana furrowed her brows and propped herself up with her shoulders. "What do you want?! I'm not in the mood to hear another stupid lecture from you!"

Lisa flinched a little from Lana's outburst, but quickly regained her stoic stature. "I require a blood sample from you to find out how you aren't suffering from any potentially dangerous diseases."

Lana held her irate glare as she lied back down on the bed. "Naaah..."

Lisa took a quick glance around the room, spotting the few cages Lana kept on her side that were devoid of occupancy. While the tomboy preferred to let her animals roam free, she did keep the particularly dangerous ones locked up. She didn't have many, but it was quite impressive and intimidating that a little girl had something like a pit viper.

 _"A tad depressing knowing that this room was once filled with reptilians of various species that would normally be hostile towards each other now lay bare. Still, it's astonishing that Lana somehow managed to keep them in line (as well as avoid being poisoned...)"_ The 4 year old monologued to herself.

Lisa walked over to the 6 year old's bed and climbed up, sitting at her feet. "Lana, I may not fully understand the partnership you had with El Diablo, but I am terribly sorry about his passing." Lana's lips curled down, small tears forming at the corners of her eyes again. "But, I do know that none of us wish to see you entangled with your depressed state. So, that is why I want you to come with me to do this procedure; at least so you don't spend the next four hours locked in your room until our parents summon us for dinner."

"Lisa...I get what you're trying to do; but like I told Lola, I just want to be alone right now..."

"I'm certain we both know that's not going to do you any good."

Lana looked down enough to spot her sister in her peripheral vision. "Who are you supposed to be? Ms. Lopez?..."

Lisa rolled her eyes. "No, but I'm hoping you'll at least be distracted from your depression."

Lana folded her arms. "Well, I'm not gettin' out of this bed."

Lisa pursed her lips. Normally, she would've gave up and let this go. It wasn't like she couldn't just grab a sample from Lana while she slept (not that she hasn't done it before mind you). Although Lisa would be hesitant to admit it, she did have some sort of attachment towards the animals she used as test subjects when she didn't need her siblings' help. It broke the little genius' heart each time one of her experiments either mutated or killed her lab rats, but not to the extent of how she might feel if one of the family pets were lost. Lisa may have liked her lab mice, but she learned to not grow too attached; it made the pain easier to bear.

It would be quite easy for Lisa to just take Lana's sample through ulterior means, but she made a pact with herself to ask her siblings for permission first; even if it meant bugging them to no end. Lisa gave a little smile before putting up her neutral face again.

The brunette propped herself on Lana's feet, her hands resting on the older girl's socks. "Can you pweeeese help me with my study?" The little genius asked in a cute tone that matched her age.

Lana looked at Lisa again, getting a puppy eyed stare from her. The mud lover gave a disinterested stare right back before lying down again. "No."

"Pweese?"

"No."

"Pweese?"

"No..."

Seeing where this might be heading, Hops jumped off the bed and onto the nightstand.

"Pweese?"

"No..."

"Pweese?"

Lana squinted her eyes, giving a low growl. "NO..."

Lisa paused for a moment to resist the urge to giggle. "Pweese?"

"N.O. Lisa..."

"Pweeeeeeese?"

"Ugh! No!"

"Pweeeeeese?"

Lana's hands gripped her bedsheets hard. "Can't you say anything but _please_?!"

The 4 year old gave an innocent look. "Pweeeeeeeeese? With ice cweam and chocolate on top?"

Lana's lips thinned until gritted teeth were revealed, her eyes widened a bit as her pupils shrank. Within a second, the six year old grabbed her pillow, pressing it over her face before giving what Lisa could describe as the girliest scream she's ever heard from the tomboy. Lisa blinked in surprise and caution, relinquishing her hold on Lana's feet. On the plus side, it was quite a rare occurrence to hear Lana's raspy voice reach a high pitch. Given how much she nearly sounded like a guy, Lisa thought her vocal cords weren't capable of producing such a sound. On the negative, the tomboy could easily kick her in the chest given her close proximity to her feet.

Lana gave a muffled sigh before removing the pillow from her face. "Alright, fine..." She sat up fully. "Only if it will get you to stop bugging me..."

Lisa gave a smug grin. _"Lisa, 1. Siblings, 0."_ She chortled a little to herself before hopping off the bed, her handywoman of a sister begrudgingly following.

Upon reaching the scientist's room, Lana saw that Lisa had a few things set up on her desk. Two petri dishes sat next to each other; one of which appeared to have something in it already. Next to them was a microscope to one side, along with a small syringe and a notebook with some textbooks on the other. A container of cotton swabs and a bottle of alcohol sat near the edge of the table. Lily was absent, as she was downstairs in the living room.

Lana raised a brow. "I thought you didn't bring anything back with us."

"I didn't. I had a colleague drop off a few things for me while we were out." Lisa grabbed the needle. "Correct me if I'm wrong. You don't have Trypanophobia," The four year old wheeled around to her sister. "Right?"

Lana gave a dull stare. "What the heck is that?"

"A fear of needles."

"Pfff. No, that's Lola's deal."

"Ok, so I won't have to inject you with an agent to calm you. Please hold out your arm."

Lana did as instructed before Lisa took out a cotton ball and dabbed it in the alcohol. She felt around for Lana's artery before wiping the area, pushing the needle into the handywoman's arm seconds later. Lana winced slightly as she felt the needle push into her artery, watching as blood left her arm and into a vile connected to the syringe. Once it was full, Lisa removed the needle and taped a small strip of medical tape to the injection area. Stepping onto her chair, Lisa took out the vial, pouring half of it into the clear dish before grabbing her microscope. Lana tapped her foot impatiently as the 4 year old jotted down notes of whatever it was she was seeing before moving onto the second dish. Lisa poured Lana's blood into it and watched the reaction through her microscope.

The brunette widened her eyes a bit at what she was seeing. "Hmm...very interesting..." Lisa muttered before writing something down.

"Well?..." Lana huffed.

"Come here for a second dear sibling." Lisa motioned her over. Lana dragged her feet along the carpet before Lisa let her peer into the microscope. "Tell me, what do you see?"

Lana closed an eye to focus better. Through the lens, she could see some red and white blood cells, as well as some platelets. The virus fighting cells looked to be a bit restless, constantly moving in random directions. The tomboy didn't pay much attention to this though. "Um, the stuff in my blood?"

"Yes. Now, notice that the white blood cells in that dish appear to be quite active when they shouldn't be. Now, look into the second dish." Lisa instructed.

Lana turned the scope a bit to look at the second dish. She saw the same cells, along with some weird looking foreign object being viciously attacked by the white blood cells. "What is that?"

"That is the bacteria I gathered from a dumpster at the college. I noticed how quickly your white blood cells responded to the virus and immediately sought to eradicate it. Now, the hyperactivity of your white blood cells normally indicates that one may have autoimmune deficiency, which is what I believe you possess."

Lana watched as her white blood cells eviscerated the bacteria in a few seconds before directing her attention to Lisa. "Auto, what?"

"Autoimmune deficiency. It means your white blood cells would actively attack your body, making you more susceptible to disease. However, it appears you have the opposite of this disability." Lisa took the microscope from Lana to confirm if the bacteria ceased to exist. "Your immune system is overclocked to the point your body is always active and ready to kill off any typical virus that comes into your body. I'm not sure as to how this happened, but it does explain why you haven't gotten sick from your constant dumpster diving escapades."

"Wait, what about the time _everyone_ got sick with the flu?" Lana asked, scratching her hair.

"Yes, that is a bit of a headscratcher," Lisa moved the microscope to the side and scribbled down more notes. "But prior to that, you haven't gotten sick from being in the trash or any other unsanitary place, correct?"

Lana shrugged. "Not that I know of."

"Perhaps your body has long since adjusted to being able to fend off the bacteria inside of dumpsters and other potentially dangerous illness that might be transmitted from animals, or even bad food given how you can stand Aunt Ruth's expired pudding." Lisa scratched her head with the butt of the pen. "But, you're still susceptible to typical illnesses like pneumonia and food poisoning. It also appears you don't have an abnormally high amount of white blood cells in your system, hence the reason you got sick like the rest of us. I may need more samples from you for further investigation." Lisa stated as she wrote down a few more things.

With Lisa temporarily busy, Lana happened a glance at the desk, her eyes scanning over the books that lied on it. The handywoman's interest grew when she spotted a thick psychology textbook that sat on top of the others. Lana picked up the book, seeing a bookmark sticking out of the top. She opened it to where it was inserted, and came across a couple pages that centered around the concept of fear itself. At least, that's what she got from the titles. Below the bolded letters, the rest of the pages were literal walls of words; Lana could already feel the boredom creeping up on her the longer she stared at it. She closed the book before her curiosity waned entirely.

"Hey Lis. What's with this book?" Lana waved the item in her hand.

Lisa glanced up at her sister. "Oh. That..." Lisa sat the notebook down. "I had purchased it from the campus library to get a better understanding of why Lincoln fears us."

Lana gave an unimpressed look. "Uh..." She snorted a little, stuffing a finger in her nose to dig something out. "It's because we beat him up pretty bad, remember?" The six year old squinted as she pulled out a booger. The tomboy looked at it for a few seconds before flicking it into the trash. "For a stupid reason no less..."

"Obviously..." Lisa grabbed the book from Lana, opening it to where she left off. "But after having my own session with Ms. Lopez, it got me thinking about what exactly causes fear. It has been on my mind for the past week or so, and it was only recently that I acquired that book. After delving into the text to satisfy my curiosity, I came up with two questions: what does Lincoln fear about us, and why." The 4 year old explained as she read through a few paragraphs.

"And again, it's because he thinks we're going to total him worse than Vanzilla." Lana folded her arms. "You heard what he said when we visited him at the hospital."

"That is correct, but _why_?" Lisa slammed the book closed. "That is the question that was never answered."

Lana rapped her fingers on her fore arm. She glanced out the window. "Given how all of us act, it's probably because we're too hotheaded for our own good..."

"Likely, but I believe it's something else." Lisa stated, making Lana raise a brow in confusion. "After reading this book, I've come to the conclusion that fear is only a thought process that exists purely in our minds. It is born simply by us perceiving something as a threat to our overall health, and therefore cannot exist unless we make it so. And often, fear is closely associated to something that is dangerous."

Lana pursed her lips, trying to deduce what Lisa was saying. "Huh?"

Lisa closed her eyes as she fought down a groan. "What I'm saying is, the reason Lincoln is afraid of us is due to him _thinking_ we're a major threat to his life. It's just like Leni with her arachnophobia. Not all spiders are dangerous to humans; some are, but the common house spider is not. It's just the known fact that all spiders carry venom that makes some people afraid when one is around, especially the larger ones such as a tarantula. And from this known fact, fear takes form and guides certain people to avoid spiders." The 4 year old placed the book on the table. "Make no mistake Lana: danger is always ever present, but fear is just a notion that purely exists in our thoughts and drives us to avoid certain objects, or people."

Lana started to nod as she understood that bit of knowledge. "Ooooh, I get it. It's the same thing with snakes. They carry venom too, well...not all of them, but those guys could literally kill a person if they wanted to. But, snakes prefer to be left alone most of them, and constrictors don't carry venom. They'll just squeeze you until you're ready to eat." The blonde's lips curled down as she thought of her beloved pet. She gave a downcast look at the carpet. "El Diablo was one..." She looked back at Lisa. "But what does this have to do with Lincoln?"

Lisa pushed her glasses up a little as she felt them slipping down her nose. "With this knowledge, I have a theory that may get our brother to finally realize we don't mean to cause him any harm. If we can show Lincoln that we are not a threat to his very existence, he may lose his fear of us at an exponential rate. The main reason Lincoln doesn't fear Lily, as I figured, is because she is much too young to bring any real harm to him."

Lana rubbed her chin. "...Are you absolutely sure this is gonna work Lis? I mean, Lincoln can't even be in the same _building_ as us without freaking out. How are we supposed to get him to believe we're no threat if all he'll do is run?"

Lisa nodded. "It should, and given that Lincoln first made contact with Lori just 16 hours ago, it appears his fear towards us is beginning to taper off. With this in mind, we must act while we have the opportunity." She sat down on the stool. "As we can see, Lincoln not seeing us has done little to alleviate his fears, and it may have amplified them. Only through constant exposure could he actually dispel his phobia." The sound of a running engine brought their attention to the window. Getting up, Lisa and Lana peered out, spotting Vanzilla pulling into the driveway. "But first, I'll need to run this theory by our parents..." Lisa finished, pulling away from the window.

"Should we tell the others too?" The mud lover asked.

"Parents first, sisters later."

The sudden opening of the bedroom door and loud thud made the girls twists their heads around. Lola had picked herself up, apparently having not realized the door wasn't fully closed. While the two girls may have been peeved that Lola was snooping again, they were more distracted by what she was wearing.

"Why, are you wearing my overalls?" Lana asked, no hint of malice in her tone.

"I...thought they looked nice?" Came Lola's meek reply.

* * *

 _In Lincoln's Dream..._

"Really? You really want to ask the help of _this guy_?" Ronnie Anne groaned, leaning on a wooden fence.

Lily cast a glare at the Hispanic girl. "Hey, I saw him wrangle in a bull numerous times _and_ wrestle a pig. Unless you got any better ideas."

Ronnie opened her mouth to voice her rebuttal, but closed it as the words died in her throat.

"I know you said we knew someone Lily, but I wasn't expecting that someone to be _Liam_." Lincoln added.

The trio were watching the farm boy tending to his chickens, spreading some feed on the ground for them to eat. When one of the roosters started getting a bit too close for comfort, the redhead shot it a glare.

"Hey! Wait yer turn Chuck! Ladies need to eat first."

The rooster in question bawked at him, but one swift flick on the beak got him to back down.

Ronnie Anne held a deadpanned look. "Yeah, I'm still not impressed." She turned to Lincoln. "Wanna look somewhere else?"

The boy shrugged. "I guess. I'd kinda hate to bring Liam into this to be honest." He turned to Lily. "Sorry Lily, but we're gonna-" Lincoln stopped after noticing Lily was no longer next to him. Raising a brow, he twisted his head to and fro to find his wayward sister.

Liam hummed as he finally gave Chuck his breakfast. "There. Hope yer happy."

"Hey Liam, can we talk for a sec?" A feminine voice called out.

"Sure thing," Liam turned around to find Lily walking over. "Lily? What do I owe the pleasure of seein' ya in these parts?"

"Soooo..." Lily started in a sweet voice, holding her hands behind her back. "Me and Lincoln need some help fighting our ex-sisters, and we were hoping you'd join."

Liam raised an eyebrow. "Uh...what?"

Lincoln ran over, casting a disapproving look at the blonde. "Lily, you could at least tell me when you're gonna go walk off..."

"Howdy Lincoln."

"Hey..."

"So...what's this I hear about you havin' family issues?" Liam asked as he leaned on the giant bag of chicken feed.

"It's...complicated..." Lincoln rubbed his arm.

"About as complicated as getting the snot beaten out of him by 9 girls all at once." Ronalda addressed as she strolled up. "And for some reason, Lily thinks you'd be of help."

Liam blinked a few times. "Well...how about we discuss this over breakfast?" The redhead turned and, with a bit of struggling, lifted the large bag. "Y'all hungry?"

"Me and Lily hadn't eaten anything today, so yeah." Lincoln replied.

"I skipped this morning." Ronnie Anne added.

"Then say no more! I'll whip up a nice bacon feast for us."

The 4 kids went into Liam's house after he put his feed back in the barn. As it turns out, Liam was a pretty decent cook, and a fast one at that. The heroes didn't know where he got all that bacon from, but it was widely assumed it was from one of his pigs (poor thing). As they ate, Lincoln and Lily explained the whole situation to the farm boy. Liam had to stop eating once due to the shock of how it all went down, as well as the fact the Louds revealed their hero identities. Ronalda became irate once again after hearing a more vivid explanation of the betrayal, and it didn't take long for Liam to figure out what her identity was. The news reports of murderers being shot in the head were unanimously tied to the Ace-sassin.

"Well..." Liam paused. "That was a mouthful to take in...sorry y'all had to suffer through that..."

"Don't worry, we're getting past it." Lily stated, stabbing another piece of bacon.

"Yeah...kinda..." Lincoln answered in a tone that reeked of depression. He had been picking at his food since he got halfway through the story.

"And if you guys need help, I definitely got yer back." The redhead boasted with a smile.

Lincoln raised a brow. "You sure Liam? I mean...I'm not too comfortable bringing a civilian-"

Liam spat out his orange juice. "Civilian?! Shoot naw! I'm far from bein' just a boy who lives on a farm." He got up from his seat, motioning the others to follow. "Come on. I gotta show y'all somethin'."

The others glanced at one another before getting out of their seats. They followed Liam up to his room, where the redhead dove under the bed to search for something. "When was the last time you guys stopped a small time crime like a robbery or a purse snatcher?"

Ronnie Anne scratched her head. "I can't remember. Maybe a month ago?"

"I've been busy going after major villains to focus on small crimes. Last time I stopped a robbery was 3 months ago, and I guess the police started handling them better since." Lincoln stated.

"Well, that's where yer wrong Ace." Liam scooted out from under the bed, bringing out a box with him. "Can y'all keep a secret?"

They nodded.

"Well, given how y'all been busy dealin' with them major crooks, I decided to get into the game myself." Liam smirked, opening the box. Inside of it was a cowboy hat with a set of cards etched into the cotton, along with a black vest, boots, a bandana, and an unusual looking lasso that was about the size of a car tire when coiled up. It couldn't have been no more than 30 feet long.

"Hey, I remember seeing that rope in the news before!" Lily answered, to which the others focused on her. "Police kept finding robbers tied up in that same silver colored rope, and it took them forever to untie the bad guys because they claimed it was hard to cut, like it was made of metal."

"That's cuz it partially is." Liam took the rope out of the box and started twirling it around. "Been using this ol' thing since I decided to start fighting crime. During the day, most just know me as Liam. But at night," Liam partially loosed the rope and lassoed a soda can off his nightstand without sparing a glance. "Crooks know me as, The Wrangler." The redhead pulled the pin and took a sip.

" _The Wrangler_? That's not a card name." Lily pouted, sticking out her tongue.

Liam shrugged. "It's not, but I watch a lot of western movies. I don't understand the whole card name shenanigans."

"Then what's with the card pattern on your hat?" Ronnie Anne asked.

"Thought it looked nice. Plus, my granddad won it in a poker game."

Lincoln took the hat out the box, inspecting every inch of it. "When did you start fighting crime Liam?"

"Three months back. Some fellers were tryin' to steal mah chickens fer profit. They also tied up mah folks so they couldn't call the cops. I was the only one who could do anything, so I grabbed a rope and went to work. It wasn't easy either..." The redhead frowned. "They were also carryin' shotguns. I managed to tie them all up, but I barely avoided gettin hit directly." Liam lifted his shirt, to which the other kids gasped. There were a few deep scratches that had faded with time, but what caught their attention the most was the obvious gash mark with small holes pilfering it; a side effect of not fully dodging a shotgun blast. "Spent a good few days in the hospital because of this thing. Occasionally, this side still flairs, but it ain't nothin'." He put his shirt down before sitting on the bed.

"Liam..." Lincoln started, getting over the initial shock. "If you needed help, why didn't you try to reach me? I would've been over there as soon as I could."

"Phone line got cut, and I didn't have time to reach mah phone since they'd..." Liam paused, his eyes becoming a little glassy. He shook his head to rid himself of whatever dark thoughts were in place. "Let's just say mah parents wouldn't be around if it weren't for me. So, seein' that I saved mah family and mah home...I felt like I could actually do something, you know? I kept hearin' about all them criminal activity going on in the city, and I figured the Full House could use some extra help." The redhead sat the box on his bed before sitting on the mattress himself.

Lincoln nodded. "There may be 11 of us, but even we can get swamped. I still remember that one time most of us lost sleep due to a sudden jail break..."

Ronalda couldn't help but grin. "Don't know about you guys, but that was a fun night for me." The Latina chuckled darkly, making everyone else uncomfortable.

"Riiiight." Liam scooted a few feet away from Ronnie Anne. "So, I figured I wound up establishing some sort of pecking order. The Full House handles the big time villains, Ace-sassin goes after the killers, and I'm stoppin' bank robberies and doin' small time favors."

Lily winced slightly. "Doesn't that get boring after a while?"

Liam sighed. "It does..."

Lincoln tapped his foot slightly as he took into account Liam's skills and match those with his other siblings. "Are you really good with that lasso Liam?"

"Sho' nuff. I could catch a road runner with it."

"Good, cause we'll need something to immortalize some of the Full House if we want to have a chance." Lincoln tapped his chin. "But we're still outnumbered..."

Liam smirked as he swung his feet. "If you want backup, I know two guys who could lend a hand. All of us, well aside from little Lily-"

"Hey!"

"Know them, cause they're in our gym class."

Lincoln and Ronalda furrowed their brows as they started picking out everyone they knew who they had gym with. It was somewhat difficult since there were over 20 kids in their class.

Liam gave a small chortle as he watched the two attempting to silently guess who he was referring to. "Here's a hint: they're both redheads like me."

Ronnie Anne went wide-eyed, her face contorting in disgust seconds later. "Oh, you can't possibly mean-"

Liam raised his hands in defense. "Hey, Zach is really into bombs these days. So much that I'm worried he'll blow up his house one day...and Rusty has gotten really good at trickin' people."

" _Bombs_ you say?" Lily asked, a mischievous grin forming on her face.

A drop of sweat formed on the back of Lincoln's head. Whenever he saw Lily give that look, he knew immediately she was gonna do something crazy. Panning over to Ronnie Anne, he could see her frustrations clear as day; guess she got her hopes up too high if she expected some other kind of heroes than the so-called 'weirdoes' she interacts with at school.

As the others continued to talk with each other, Lincoln was taking note of comparisons of this new team and his old. There was Lincoln himself, Lily, Ronnie Anne, Clyde, Liam, Zach, and Rusty. That was 7 against 9. And when you add up their abilities, at least two of them could handle explosives, Ronnie Anne was a sharpshooter, Liam could immobilize some of the key targets like Lisa, Rusty's perceived tricks could cause confusion to prevent the girls from organizing, and Lincoln and Clyde had close combat experience.

Lincoln smiled a little; seeing that they might stand a chance if things go their way. However, when he started to think about his other siblings, that same smile doubled back into a frown. Just about all of his sisters had close combat training _on top of_ certain abilities they possessed. Luna's amps could potentially nullify Lily and Zach if she struck the right chord, Lynn was bullet resistant and so was Lola thanks to her crystals. However, Ronnie Anne specifically said she had something for them. Leni could potentially match Liam with that sash of hers, and Lucy and Lana were wild cards of their own; namely one appearing out of nowhere and the other being too wild to control, especially when she's near a water source. As for Lori and Lisa, they were the most 'normal' of the group, though Lori was just as good as Lincoln in a fight and Lisa would make sure you couldn't touch her.

Lincoln put a hand to his head, squeezing his eyes shut as a low groan escaped him. Just thinking about this impending clash was too much of a headache to think on one sitting. He let out a small yawn. "Guess that bacon really does a number on you..." He muttered.

Seeing the others were still talking, the boy figured they wouldn't mind if he lied down for a minute. Walking over to the other side of Liam's bed, he flopped on the mattress. Lincoln stared at the ceiling as his vision became blurred to the point he could barely make out the ceiling fan. Within seconds, nothing but darkness enveloped his vision.

Lincoln shifted a little on the soft mattress as his eyes slowly opened up. Well, what he thought was a mattress. Once his brain was half awake, the Loud boy realized he was lying on a couch. Given by the color, texture, and feel, Lincoln knew he wasn't at his house. Rolling onto his back, Lincoln checked his surroundings through his half-tired gaze.

 _"Guess mom dropped me back at the McBrides...ugh...why does my mouth feel sore?..."_ The Loud groaned to himself.

On instinct, his tongue moved around until it felt two soft objects pressed against the inside of his cheeks. Raising an eyebrow, Lincoln drowsily shifted until his back was on the couch. He reached into his mouth and pulled out the foreign object; the Loud's eyes widened as he realized it was a blood-soaked sponge.

Lincoln sat up in an instant, frantically tapping parts of his mouth. His tongue felt open space in the back where he swore some teeth should've been. His breathing quickened, thinking someone must've knocked out more of his teeth. As he let out a small whimper, Lincoln visibly cringed as the back of his mouth throbbed in pain.

Clyde came around the corner, his face glued to the Ace Savvy comic in his hands. He glanced at Lincoln, whom he expected to still be asleep. The nerdy child did a double take once he realized the white-headed boy was wide awake.

"Hey Lincoln. Thought you'd still be asleep." Clyde set the issue on the table. "That must've been some heavy sleeping gas."

"Sleeping gas?..." Lincoln said in a muffled tone.

"Yeah. You had your molars removed, remember?"

Lincoln wracked his brain for what happened moments before he went to sleep. "I was at mom's office, they checked my teeth, and..." He paused once the memory came to him. "Oh..." Lincoln's cheeks heated up a little. "Right..."

"Mouth feeling sore?" Lincoln gave a nod, to which Clyde handed him the pain killer bottle before going to get some water.

Lincoln popped one of the pills into his mouth before Clyde tossed him a bottle. He reached out for it, only to miss as the bottle grazed his fingertips. "I can't catch..."

"Nah. I shouldn't have thrown it so far away." Clyde chuckled nervously. Lincoln picked up the bottle, taking a few sips to force the pill down his throat. "Mrs. Loud also said you need to take those every 3 hours-no wait, 6!" The African American then took note of the gauze sponge on the couch. "Annnnnd you may want to put another sponge in your mouth."

Lincoln poked his tongue around and felt another sponge on his left cheek. He took it out, cringing in disgust a bit after seeing it was also soaked with blood and spit. Clyde tossed him the bag, to which Lincoln actually caught and took two sponges out. "Hey Clyde..." The Loud pushed one into his mouth. "Have you ever had the same type of dream happen, as if there's more to it each time you fall asleep?"

"Mmmm..." Clyde shrugged. "Not that I know of. Why? Did you have another nightmare?" He asked, raising his voice in near panic. Clyde calmed back down when he noted that one key reaction was missing. "Wait...you didn't wake up screaming though."

Lincoln shook his head. "It's not exactly a nightmare, more like one big adventure that's becoming a headache. When I have those dreams, it takes me a moment to remember what happened, as if I'm living a second life or something."

"Hmmm...this sounds like you need more therapy talk!" Clyde stated brightly before moving towards the hallway. "Right this way to my office good sir!" He stopped mid-stride when another reminder smacked him in the head. "Oh, before we talk, there's some lunch for you in the fridge."

The mere mention of food made Lincoln's stomach growl. "Guess that was good timing." The Loud boy chuckled.

After peeking into the fridge, Lincoln unwrapped a plate with his name on a sticky note to find a crab cake sandwich with a small salad on the side. He took a moment to heat it up first before heading to Clyde's room, figuring he could just eat while they talked. Clyde sat in his own desk chair while Lincoln sat on the trundle bed, still eating bits of his lunch. The Loud boy made sure to take his gauze sponges out first before eating, lest he accidentally swallow one. Sure enough, the boys spent the first few minutes talking about how good Howard's cooking was before getting into the real details. Clyde was rather surprised to hear how complex Lincoln's dreams were getting, and moreover, the kind of imagination Lincoln had when he was allowed to sleep for a few hours at a time.

It was one thing to imagine Lincoln and himself being Ace Savvy and One-Eyed Jack, but his sisters _and_ friends possessing alter egos as well? And the fact they each had a certain set of skills to go with it? It was almost too much for Clyde to take in; it made him wish _he_ had dreams like that.

"So, just to make sure I understand it all: you and Lily, as Ace and Deuce, went to a warehouse because the rest of your sisters were having trouble with Card Shark. But, it was actually a trap set for you by the same sisters you're afraid of. But, you managed to hold them off before they reorganized and overwhelmed you, then Lily comes in and saved you?"

Lincoln nodded.

"Next, you pass out shortly after you both manage to get away, then I arrive and take you both to our secret hideout somewhere in the woods. Then, I managed to get back into the Fortress of Solitaire and steal something from Lisa to heal you. Once you're on your feet, you call Ronnie Anne for help, and she's an assassin who uses guns?"

Lincoln nodded again.

"Then, after meeting with her, you, Lily, and Ronnie Anne head to Liam's, who was secretly a...cowboy?"

"Yeah." The Loud shrugged. "I just pictured him as being one given how he wrangled bulls before. And Zach was a bomb guy like Lily, and I'm not too certain what Rusty was before I woke up, but I think he's sort of like a magician." Lincoln rubbed his temple. It ached slightly as he continued to think about what happened in his dream.

"And the whole reasoning for this is to lead up to a confrontation with your sisters?" The African American asked.

"...I'm not so sure..." Lincoln meekly answered. He supposed it did, but actually fighting his sisters again was a bridge he'd yet reached.

"If I had to guess, it's because you're still trying to avoid them while at the same time, attempting to reach out to them. You did text Lori yesterday despite having a day-mare after all." Clyde folded his legs. "So...do you think that might be a sign that you actually _want_ to see your sisters again?"

"..." The pregnant pause between them gave an answer of its own. Seeing that Lincoln still had a level of uncertainty with meeting his other siblings, Clyde decided to not press the issue.

"Now then, about your Ace Savvy dream..." Clyde started, taking a deep breath through his nose. "All of that sounds totally wicked! I mean, I know Ace and Jack our are superheroes, but thinking up one for your sisters and our friends? _And giving them cool backstories?_ Dude, you should make a comic out of that one day!"

Lincoln raised a brow. "You think I should?"

"Well, yeah. If you have an imagination like that, just think about what you could do if you had those same thoughts while in front of a blank paper. Our art teacher always tells us to 'channel our mojo' as he calls it."

Lincoln cast a sullen look at the floor. "I...I don't know Clyde. I haven't been good at anything..." His frown deepened. "The only thing I _had_ been good at was being there for my sisters, and I failed that too..."

Clyde gave a frown of his own. "Have you tried drawing before?"

Lincoln shook his head. "No...but I did everything else during the time I tried to get a trophy into the trophy case at my house..." The boy started counting off his fingers. "I tried a marathon: dead last. Tried a karate tournament: broke my hand trying to split a stack of wood. Went into a talent show and tried my luck with music: booed off the stage." He sat his hand in his lap. "I even managed to get into a Little Ms. Cutie pageant and lost that. And if you remember what happened during the video contest, I had to give up _that_ because my sisters hated me for embarrassing them..."

Clyde chuckled slightly, to which Lincoln glowered at him. "It's not funny..." The boy muttered.

"It's not that Lincoln. It's just, outside of the video contest, you tried things your _sisters_ were good at. I'm thinking that you may have tried to follow in their footsteps to see if you could gain something from _their_ talents instead of yours."

"..."

"Was this something you talked about with Dr. Lopez?"

"Sort of. I told her the same thing I told you, but we didn't go much into it."

"Well, take it from me buddy." Clyde leaned back in his chair. "You can do more than what you think you're only capable of, if that makes sense. I believe you can do more than just being a good brother, not that there's anything wrong with that. But I really think you should try drawing, because if your imagination is that big and complex, I think that's a sign of someone whose going to be an artist one day."

Lincoln shoved the rest of the sandwich in his mouth, chewing slowly as he processed Clyde's advice. Could he be an artist? He never explored that opportunity; but given how he tends to create plans for dealing with the every day hijinks of his siblings, it could be applied to storytelling. Not only that, the few times Lincoln did draw up something (usually involving a plan of his), the picture didn't look half bad. Granted, it was still amateurish, but he's not a professional.

"Well," Lincoln swallowed his food. "If you think I should, then I'll give it a try."

"That's the spirit!" Clyde cheered. "Oh, and make sure you clean your mouth properly after you eat. You might've gotten some food where your molars used to be. And speaking of which, did I have any powers as One-Eyed Jack? Like super detective skills or stealth? I'm thinking it had to be stealth if I could get back into the fortress without being noticed."

Lincoln gave a small snort. _"Of course he'd ask."_ The boy chuckled internally, being very thankful he had someone like Clyde for a friend. Not to dock any points from the rest of his social circle, but Lincoln doubted they could be this insightful.

* * *

"Are you absolutely sure about this Lisa? I mean, what if it just makes everything worse?" Lynn Sr. asked his little genius of a daughter. She approached both parents while they were unpacking the groceries, and unsurprisingly, they were a bit at odds with this plan. Lisa had to wait until they were finished before they could discuss it in the living room.

"I assure you father, that this theory of mine has a 55% chance of being successful. And to start off, I propose that someone who has already been in direct contact with Lincoln initiate this new strategy." Lisa stated.

"And who do you think should be the one to talk with Lincoln?" Rita asked. "You know he's not going to trust anything you girls say, even if it's the truth."

"I anticipate that, which is why I've deduced this problem down to two siblings who have had direct line of sight with Lincoln by themselves." Lisa took out a pie chart that was divided among 9 of the sisters. Lily was not included since Lincoln still trusted her. Most of the girl's sections were small, including Lisa's, but Lynn and Luan's were significantly bigger. "Taking into account personality, physical stature, and contact length with Lincoln, the best candidates would be Lynn and Luan." The 4 year old took out a pointer and tapped Lynn's section. "Lynn has had contact with Lincoln prior to finding out his fear was becoming an issue, and while said meeting did not end well in any means, it's possible Lincoln may have taken her words into consideration. She is also roughly the same height as Lincoln, making it a little more comfortable to talk with someone who doesn't tower over him. However, one key issue that may be a problem is Lynn's well-known physical prowess; and considering that Lincoln's injured arm was her doing, Lincoln could be quite apprehensive at being near her."

Lisa then pointed at Luan's chart. "Then there's Luan. She's had contact with Lincoln under happenstance due to a sudden school assembly, and after which she had saved him from being trampled on by the student body. From her retelling of the event, Lincoln was scared stiff, but he did not run away; he was taken by his social circle before anything could happen." The prodigy put the pointer to her side. "Because of this action, Lincoln may be willing to speak with Luan as a thanks. However, Luan's history of pulling unexpected pranks leaves her in the realm of unpredictability, which would make Lincoln cautious." She compressed the pointer until it was only an inch long. "Added to the fact Luan is also 6 inches taller than Lincoln, he may find this intimidating."

Lisa paused, hoping her parents would provide some input. However, they didn't speak a word, so she continued. "As for myself and my other siblings, we have had little to no contact with our brother outside of that one hospital visit, so we are not viable candidates."

Lynn Sr. and Rita glanced at one another. It sounded like a good strategy, but there was still some hesitation about rushing into things. If the girls made one wrong move, it could possibly drive Lincoln further away from them.

"Well sweetie, it's a nice plan and all, but..." Rita paused, trying to get her thoughts together. Lisa was already beginning to look disappointed, as she feared her parents might regret her idea.

"What your mother is trying to say is, we're just nervous about having you girls be within Lincoln's sight again. He just texted Lori last night, and now you want to see him in person? There's just a lot of things that could go wrong."

Lisa gave a sad sigh. "I guess this was a waste of time then..."

"Now hang on, we're not finished." The patriarch quickly added.

"However, we are gonna bite the bullet and trust you girls to decide, on your own, about what to do and who will be meeting with Lincoln. And when I say trust, I mean that in a loose term. We'll be checking to make sure you girls don't try anything crazy." Rita replied.

 _"Well, that technically counts as an approval."_ Lisa noted to herself. "Understood. I will inform my sisters immediately."

Fortunately for Lisa, their talk had drew the attention of the rest of the girls, including Ronalda, who was still a bit too exhausted to try walking home. Although they should be happy at having another opportunity to win Lincoln's trust again, this was masked by the nervousness each girl felt; Lynn and Luan in particular were sweating bullets. They were well aware of the stakes placed on them: if they succeed, it could accelerate Lincoln's hopeful return to their house. If they fail, it could make him want to stay as far away from the house as possible.

And they sure as hell didn't want to screw up one of the few chances they had...

 **A/N: This is the second longest chapter for a Loud House story I've made. I probably would've stopped writing some time ago and published this, but I just had a lot I wanted to put out. So, with a new plan in the works, it's only a matter of time to see if Lisa's theory will actually take shape and work. Aside from that, there is also the option of slow communication build up; this would work where it starts from texts, then phone calls, and eventual face-to-face. But, knowing the girls, they will try any viable plan to get into their brother's good graces again.**

 **Also, me and Darthsidious often have talks about why Lana doesn't get sick from her constant dumper diving. Even a sane person would normally wear some protective gear since there are so many germs that you could get infected with. Even FDS at one point wanted Lana to wound up having some parasite and require surgery because of her garbage eating habits. But, I hopefully found a good explanation as to why she doesn't get sick after looking into autoimmune deficiencies.**

 **As Dr. Ian Malcolm said, _Life Finds A Way_.**


	30. A Light In The Fog

**A/N: Yes yes, I'm still alive. I know it's been some months since Syn got any attention, what with Worth being wrapped up and Lil Roomie getting a small update. Plus, life gets in the way most of the time with working at a different and busier location along with this maintenance stuff I'm doing. But good news is, with Worth finished I'm limiting myself to two fics again (or until I get bored make a 3rd because I have a few more ideas I want to write).**

 **Anyway, the girls have plotted a way to get Lincoln to trust them again, and with the boy himself slowly coming to terms with his fear, he** ** _just_** **might come** around **to see reality. The girls better hope their idea works, or it's back to square one..**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

Spending your days in seclusion normally wouldn't be that bad if you were just trying to relax. All the time in the world to unwind, putting your stress into a box that gets dumped into a bottomless pit in your mind, and forgetting your troubles until they smack you in the face with a 12 foot steel beam. Unfortunately, for one certain boy currently in hiding from (most of) his estranged siblings, sitting around in his and Clyde's cave wasn't doing him any favors.

Lincoln was slouched in his seat on a large couch, a mix of depression and anxiety ever present in his eyes as he watched a news report talking about the recent events of the Full House Gang. He viewed it while he was in the city two days prior, disguised as some random kid running errands. True to their word, the girls had released edited footage of the fight at the docks, only showing the parts where Ace was managing his own and the event where Deuce began raining grenades on them to save him. The oldest siblings were quick to label the two as traitors with High Card, Strong Suit, and Queen of Diamonds promising to bring them to justice by any means necessary. This in turn led to the police issuing a warrant for their arrest as well as any co-conspirators affiliated with Ace and Deuce.

As much as Lincoln saw it coming, it still made his heart ache that his own sisters would be so ready to turn on him. It instilled thoughts that, outside of Lily, they probably never loved him to begin with; they likely only tolerated his presence since he was the best at finding criminals. Lily assured him that wasn't the case, though even she was unsure what caused the girls to snap. Still, the grenadier was outright pissed at being framed by the media, offhandedly challenging her ex-sisters to _try_ and bring them in.

If Clyde or Ronnie Anne were concerned about the law coming for them, they didn't show it. Ronnie had been issued a warrant quite few times over her career; the charges were inevitably dropped when it was revealed that her victims were far from innocent. As for One-Eyed Jack, he distracted himself with keeping tabs on the other Loud siblings; he was also confident in his and Ace's ability to evade the police as well.

In spite of Lincoln's mood, there was some good news as the boy shifted his attention from the news to the other part of his social circle playing cards at a table. Liam leaned back in his chair as he calmly stared at the cards in his deck, his cowboy hat hanging on the back side of the chair as he kicked his spurs up on the table.

Rusty had beads of sweat developing on his forehead, letting Lincoln know he probably had a bad hand. If he had to be honest, Rusty looked like one of those old styled magicians with a cape, eye mask, and a fedora of all things. It shouldn't be surprising that the curly-haired boy wore a tux with several card emblems stitched to the cuffs; he always tried to present himself as a 'Ladies Man'. Perhaps the only oddity was his chosen color. A black, white, and even a red tux were pretty common these days; but a _green_ one? Ok, to be fair, it had some black patterns in it, but Lincoln could not hope to wonder how Rusty would manage to keep himself hidden unless they were in a forest. He's known as the Mirage Master. Pretty bland, and Lincoln knew Rusty would've picked Dr. Strange, but someone was already using that name and Rusty sure as heck didn't have a Ph. D.

Panning over to the last of the 3 redheads, Zach was...how could Lincoln put it? He'd looked like a grenadier he saw in a video game before, almost similar to Lily but with a different layout. Wearing what Lincoln assumed was a tactical vest, several odd looking spheres were hooked to the front, sides, and a launcher of sorts was lazily hanging by its strap on the head of his chair.

Zach might've been a nerd in every sense of the meaning, but it was easy to see why he gets A's in chemistry. The 10 year old could turn piles of scrap into _working bombs_ , and as the little guy proclaimed, all he needed was some good metal, chemicals, and a working timer. In secret, he would test his devices to achieve a set radius, explosive power, and ease of use. He also had to be very careful with how he made his bombs, knowing one errant twitch could blow him up, or ruin an entire batch. However, all of his bombs weren't just plain old explosives; Zach also made some smoke bombs, flash bangs, and worst of all, shrapnel mines. It made sense as Lincoln once recalled a time Lana swore she spotted the boy at the junkyard while running an errand. Might also explain why the boy's hair had that spikey look to it. Since he didn't have a name for himself, everyone else decided to give Zach the title as Mad Bomber. Lily suggested a puny name like _Junkrat_ due to the fact his bombs were literally made out of trash, only to earn a glare from her supposed partner. And let's be honest: after Zach blows up a few things, he acts like he just took 5 adrenaline shots and starts laughing like a maniac. A little unhinged, but that level of unpredicted chaos would be useful against an organized team like the Full House.

Lincoln squinted his eyes a little at Zach, seeing faded patches of smoke intertwined with the red spikey follacles. _"Zach must really know his stuff of he hasn't blown himself up yet. Though I imagine he nearly_ did _a few times."_

A feminine groan got his attention. "You're not seriously watching that old thing _again_ are you?"

Lincoln twisted his body around to face Lily, who shuffled in with a tired gaze. She was still dressed in her pajamas despite it being around noon. His lips straightened into a small frown. "You didn't sleep much..."

"Not that I could after patrolling all night..."

"Lily, I told you it was too dangerous to go out there with our sisters looking for us." Lincoln turned back to the TV. "Not to mention the police."

Lily threw her hands up in irritation. "I was with Ace-sassin, wasn't I?!" She stopped at the back of the couch, turning before falling over the top and onto the seats. "Not like we found any clues for them anyway. Crime's been rather low surprisingly."

Lincoln nodded. "I guess the girls might've scared the rest, given what they did to Card Shark."

Lily gave a small nod, gazing on half-interest at the upside down TV. She blinked a couple times as a small memory came to the forefront of her mind. "Oh," She dug into her pocket before pulling out two sheets of folded paper. "I also found these while we were out yesterday."

Lincoln raised a brow in confusion before taking them from his sister. Inspecting the sheets, they were clearly ripped off from some building as he noted the dust and torn edges. Unfolding them, Lincoln glowered a little as he stared back at a far off picture of himself in his Ace Savvy uniform. Below the picture was a large cash reward being offered along with a charge listed as 'Reckless Vigilantism'. The other paper was the same, but with a lone image of Deuce scanning for something on top of a roof. This wasn't mentioned on the news...

Given how fresh the paper looked, the police must've passed them out recently. If you ever want to get normally unwilling volunteers to help in a pointless search, just put up wanted posters offering a large sum of money. Typically, most wouldn't bother looking for a hero who was known to appear only when they wanted to be seen; to chase a ghost would be nothing more than wasted time and money. But for a $100,000 reward? Might as well treat it like the lottery and hope for the best. And there was always the option they could always increase the amount to attract more.

"This isn't helping Lily..." The 11 year old said in slight irritation.

"No, but at least you won't be surprised if some mercenaries or whatever decide to come after us."

Lincoln blew hot air out of his nose. "At least they just think there's only two people to look for." He rubbed his eyes as his lids started to feel like sand bags.

Lily gave a half-smirk. "Guess I'm not the only one who didn't get any sleep." The 7 year old lifted her legs, pivoting herself so she was lying on her stomach while facing her brother. "Wanna talk about it?"

The 11 year old shook his head. "Just the same old worry of waking to see one of my sisters ready to kill me in my sleep..."

"Lincoln..." Lily frowned, losing her joking demeanor. "They're not gonna find us. I mean, you said it yourself that none of our sisters knew you and Clyde made this cave. _I_ never knew of this place until Clyde brought us here."

"That may be, but we both know they're resourceful. We only have half as much info gathering than we would back at home. Not to mention Lisa has _way_ better computers." The boy grabbed the remote and flicked the channel to some old movie, not that he had any intention of watching it. "Call me paranoid, but I stand out too much for my own good. Hiding my hair is easy, but my teeth..." Lincoln rubbed his oversized choppers subconsciously, his fingers then sliding down to his jawline where a small and subtle scar was still hardening.

Lily eyed it, a small migraine developing instinctively. During the time Lincoln was out cold from his beating, she did some quick surgery to remove the tracking devices Lisa inserted into all of her siblings in the event one of them was kidnapped. What was normally a good safety measure was now proving to be a glaring weakness, and the grenadier set to ensure the girls wouldn't be able to track their movements. Another benefit of having a genius for a roommate was having the knowledge to remove foreign objects under the skin. Lincoln's was easy to remove since his was located just above the lower left side of his jaw, and him being under heavy anesthesia made it painless. Lily's was tougher to remove though; Lisa installed it close to her temple. With Clyde busy, she was forced to perform a little surgery on herself. The 7 year old spent a grueling two hours cutting open her head, biting fiercely into the bill of her cap to keep from screaming in agony as Lily silently prayed she didn't screw up something important. The device was successfully removed, at the expense of Lily now being forced to deal with flaring headaches every now and then. Her hat also had permanent tooth marks as well.

Still, two hours to remove a tracker was enough time for the rest of the Louds to make it back to base and potentially fire up the scanner. She didn't want Lincoln to worry even further, but all Lily could do was hope she destroyed hers before that happened...

"If it helps," Lily sat up before scooting closer to him. "Clyde's been watching them through several public camera systems. He still can't access the ones at home, but from the look of things everywhere else (and looking through areas we would usually go to), they seem to be acting _normal_." The last word was spoken with malice. "But what are we going to do? We can't just sit aside and let them frame us as the bad guys."

"I know..." Lincoln replied, uncertainty ever present in his form. "I want to set the record straight, but at the same time, I don't want to put them in a bad light too." Lily's face contorted in displeasure, but Lincoln continued on before she could spit more fire. "Just think about it. Everyone in the city looks up to us to protect them. If we did the same thing our sisters did, then people would get confused and lose trust in _all_ of us." Lincoln gave a short pause to let it sink in. Lily raised a finger to refute that statement, but could find none the more she thought it over. "When I first became Ace Savvy, I swore to protect the innocent as best I can. I don't like the way things are now, but it's better that the city doesn't think the _whole_ team is crazy." The 11 year old glanced at the TV, flicking the channel again. Now it showed some talk show host giving disparaging comment about Ace himself and his leadership. The boy furrowed his brows before muting the TV. "That doesn't mean I don't want to do something about it. More importantly, I don't want to have to deal with the girls where everyone can see it. If one of the villains is up to no good, then chances are the rest of the Full House will come out to stop them."

Lincoln then felt a pair of arms resting on top of his head. "So you want to run an interception mission Lame-O?" Ronnie Anne stated. "Didn't think you were looking to be _that_ bold."

"Wait, if we do that, what about the bad guy?" Lily asked.

Lincoln hummed in thought. Depending on who it was, they could either let them slip away and deal with them later, or have to apprehend them as soon as possible. With so many villains out there, it was going to be a luck of a draw that it wouldn't be any of the major players.

A few minutes later, Clyde poked his head into the room. "Hey guys." Several pairs of eyes immediately turned to him. "Not to ruin anyone's fun time, but I've been looking over some camera footage and other information, and-"

"Get to the point Clyde..." Ronnie Anne ordered.

"I was!" The boy frowned. "Wild Card Willy is on the move, and I think he's planning a heist tonight."

Lincoln raised his brows in surprise. Well that was certainly a stroke of luck; Willy wasn't as bad as say, Card Countess, but he could still be a pain to deal with. The Full House had clashed with him a few times, usually beating the villain, but he always managed to get away. As unpredictable as he was, Ace couldn't account for everything the man would throw at them. However, the new Full House may not be so forgiving...

"Well bro, what do you think?" Lily asked in a serious tone.

Lincoln bit his lip as he mulled over his options, growing more nervous by the second as he felt everyone staring at him. He didn't want to admit he wasn't quite ready to face his other sisters again, but at the same time, he didn't want to let his team down and let this opportunity go to waste. If they did go, it'd be the first time meeting his other sisters since they started their coup; awkwardness aside, no doubt one could expect a brawl to take place. But what would happen then? What would happen if Lincoln and the others managed to _win_? The savvy crime fighter doubted his sisters would go down that easily, and were more likely to work as a unit than individually unlike last time. Locking them up wasn't much of an option either because like it or not, Lincoln _needed_ them if they want to be able to deal with a serious threat.

And if they lost?...

Images of Lincoln lying on the floor in agony with barely a breath to spare flashed through his mind, painting a similar picture for his teammates. The sinister laughter of his other sisters rang in his ears like an unholy noise from the deepest pits of hell, making the 11 year old want to scream out in terror. A calm hand rested on his shoulder, making Lincoln aware of not only his surroundings, but the rapid breaths he didn't know he was giving.

"This isn't a one vs. nine Lincoln...you have a team now." Lily smiled sincerely.

"We're always ready back you up buddy." Clyde proclaimed.

"And we're not gonna let them have a repeat of the last fight you had. They deserve what's coming to them." Ronnie Anne hummed, lightly massaging Lincoln's hair.

"Yeah. They'll learn not to underestimate us." Rusty boasted. "And speaking of underestimating..." He turned his hand towards his opponents, showing a deck stacked with aces.

Liam held his mouth open in angered shock while Zach threw his cards into the air. "What?! How?! I had a jack, a queen, and a king!" The shortest redhead yelled.

"All about misdirection fellas." Rusty smirked, covering the cards in his hands before opening them, showing nothing but empty palms.

"Show off..." Liam groaned, folding his arms. Zach banged his head on the table in frustration.

Lincoln gave a slight chuckle, the nervousness he felt all but disappearing. Maybe they really did have a chance. He and Lily knew their sisters better than anyone, and aside from Clyde, there was an advantage to be held by forcing the girls to deal with opponents they're unfamiliar with. Not to mention they'd likely be overconfident at having to fight a bunch of kids, hypocritical as it was since none of them were of legal age.

Oh how Lincoln would prove them wrong.

"Alright." Lincoln gently took Ronalda's hands off his head. "If everyone's in favor, then it's clear what we'll have to do." He stood on the couch. "We'll go after Wild Card Willy, but the real objective is waiting for the Full House to arrive."

"What do we do then?" Liam asked.

"Just expect a bunch of fighting, some name calling, and _lots_ of collateral damage. But during it all, I hope I can find some answers to figure out why all of this has happened..." Lincoln paused, an uneasy feeling overcoming him. "The way they acted that night...I just have this odd feeling that there's something else going on. If they had any problems with me, they'd be the first to let me know. My sisters aren't exactly good at hiding their aggression." Lincoln closed his eyes for a moment, letting images of that savage beating play in his head. "They didn't hesitate to try and kill me," He looked at his team. "And I'm sure they would do the same to you. So...just be careful, ok guys?"

The rest of the kids voiced their approvals in unison before filing out of the room in order to make some last minute arrangements. After the last person left, Lincoln glanced back at the muted TV. High Card was on the screen explaining something to a reporter, no doubt giving more false information about Ace Savvy's 'betrayal' or how they've yet to find him. Giving a low sigh, the Loud shut the TV off. No matter how much he tried to shake it, a sense of dread was constantly present in his stomach. Fighting with his own family on this scale was something the boy never could've predicted, nor wish it. But with his mind already set and a plan beginning to form, Lincoln really hoped to diffuse the ensuing quarrel before someone else feels the same pain he's currently dealing with.

* * *

Unfortunately for Lincoln, who he was in his dreams was not the same boy who walked to school with his best friend that Monday morning. Dreams and reality really were two different fields of play, as Lincoln was beginning to understand. As the Loud was growing more accustomed to looking through two different perspectives, he felt himself growing envious of his Ace Savvy persona. At least _he_ had the courage to face his sisters head on, something the real Lincoln lacked. Even so, a fearful Lincoln could at least say his worries about school were dwindling. His social circle did a good job keeping him away from his sisters (aside from last Thursday, but he didn't hold that against them), and since at least one friend shared a class with him daily, it was a 9 to 5 operation. They were taking their jobs seriously, to the point Lincoln couldn't even use the bathroom without a buddy watching outside the bathroom. In most circumstances, it would be annoying; after hearing Lola singing in the opposite restroom, it was anything but to Lincoln.

A faint smile formed on Lincoln's face. With his friends always having his back, maybe he'd actually get the courage to face at least _one_ of his sisters. Speaking of siblings, the middle child started to wonder how Lily was faring. He hadn't seen her since he left the hospital, but he sure as heck wasn't about to come into the house with his...other sisters around...

He didn't doubt that she missed him greatly, and he to her...

Speaking of which, there was one other sister who felt like she was going to crack under pressure. Lynn was nearing the end of her science class, feeling rather uncomfortable and fidgety about her appearance and choice of clothing. She brushed some hair behind her ear, shifted a bit to make sure her hair (which now ran just past her shoulders) didn't get caught between the seat and her back. In many cases, the tomboy would dominate when under the gun to score a win, even if the subject matter wasn't anything competitive. She liked the attention, almost as much as she liked winning. This time though? She felt she drew the short stick...

The girls decided (and after a rock, paper, scissors match) that the young athlete would be the one to try and break the ice with Lincoln. Lynn immediately objected due to her well-known aggression, aforementioned competitiveness, and the injuries she inflicted on Lincoln. However, Luan was also as hesitant due to her past behavior, not to mention being almost twice as tall as Lincoln would add to her intimidation factor. The comedian was also uncertain if Lincoln would keep the protection she gave him on Thursday in consideration.

In order to make Lynn appear less intimidating and more relaxed, the girls had her wear jeans and bright colored hoodie, have her hair down, and practice giving a warm smile. Naturally, the jock didn't think anything was wrong with her smile. No, scratch that. Her missing teeth did ruin it a bit, but Lynn through it still looked good. However, Lisa stated it could make Lincoln feel less secure than he already was if she gave a crooked smile; plus, who wants to see a smile that has gaps where teeth should obviously be? With a frustrated groan, she accepted their 'conditioning' and felt rather ridiculous about it all. It was one thing about not being able to wear her favorite jerseys, but baggy clothing was _NOT_ something Lynn ever liked. She occasionally felt she might trip on one of her pants legs and constantly had to pull on the sleeves to keep her hands free.

Perhaps the easiest part was how simple the plan was: let Lincoln see her from a distance before calmly walking up and try to start a casual conversation. On paper, a monkey could do it. But, this is why we say things are easier said than done. The biggest issue for Lynn was the fact she and Lincoln would only see each other in school during lunch a few days out of the week like today. Even more so, as Lynn shuddered in thought, the crowded room would instantly draw unwanted attention if Lincoln were to freak out. Last thing she needed to catch another food tray to the face, in front of a _quarter_ of the student body...

Glancing at the clock, the jock realized she had 5 minutes to put aside whatever doubts she had before putting the plan into action.

Lynn grasped at her sleeves, pulling them back as her foot tapped the floor vigorously. "Stupid hoodie...what the heck was wrong with my other shirts? And it's spring!" The 13 year old growled in frustration. She could feel her arms starting to become damp in the heat. Lynn actually liked to sweat, seeing it as proof of a good workout. She just hated sitting still and sweating like she was in a goddamn oven. It almost made her lose her focus on the test she just finished. On the bright side, at least her legs weren't suffering...

A buzzing in her pocket let Lynn know someone sent her a text. Reaching into her pocket, her eyes traced over the message.

 _Nervous?..._ \- Luan

Lynn began thumbing her response, quickly putting her phone on vibrate once she her a few ticks echo somewhat loudly.

 _More than you can imagine... -_ Lynn

 _Sorry about this. I just didn't think Lincoln would be ready to see me again so soon... -_ Luan

 _It's fine. Not any better than you are, just wish I didn't have to wear this dumb hoodie. -_ Lynn

 _Do you think you can handle it? I mean...I'm not saying you can't, but I...let's just say I'm second guessing myself a lot and wanted to talk with him too._ \- Luan

Lynn frowned a bit. This had been going back and forth with Luan since the weekend.

 _Lu...I got this. I don't like the fact I might get hit in the face again with gross lunch food, but I'll take that chance anyway if it means letting Link see we aren't out to get him._ \- Lynn

The bell rang, signaling the start of Operation: Sister Affection.

 _I gotta go. But if this works, you're next in line. -_ Lynn

 _Good luck...-_ Luan

 _I don't have a four leaf clover -_ Lynn

The brunette stuffed her phone in the pocket, hoping that last text would at least get the comedian to smile at the inside joke. Grabbing her books, Lynn made a short trip to her locker before heading down to the lunch room. The closer she got to the cafeteria, the more that unsettled feeling in her gut made itself known, growing to the point her veins were pumping a constant flow of anxiety. Upon reaching the doors, Lynn felt her legs lock up as she stared inside through the windows. She couldn't spot any traces of white hair among the various students of multiple grades, and that made Lynn flinch unconsciously as a chill descended down her spine.

If Lynn wanted to make this plan work, she needed to make contact with him _first_. If it were the other way around, Lincoln may want to sneak out while she wasn't looking. To make matters more complicated, none of the sisters and Ronnie Anne told Lincoln's other friends about what they were going to do; they were too close to him to risk the Loud figuring out both groups were communicating with each other. Plus, Ronnie Anne admitted that Lincoln's other friends would be rather poor at feigning knowledge of this agreed meeting.

In a stroke of luck, Lynn darted her eyes to the left where the food line was, spotting her brother, Clyde, and his three of his geeky friends walking away from the lunch lady with trays full of food. She tracked them throughout the room as they sat at a table not too far away from the windows, immediately conversing about something Lynn could likely care less about. Lynn wasn't concerned about any mean looks she might get once she strolled in; most of the student body didn't care, but Lynn's friends still refused to talk to her, only being aloof than giving hateful glares nowadays.

Ronnie Anne was no where in sight, much to Lynn's disappointment. Although uncomfirmed, Ronnie Anne claimed that Lincoln was more at ease when she was around; Lynn could only guess that was due to what happened the day after he was sent to the hospital. The 5th grade tomboy soon regretted saying that as she was nearly swept up in a sister-nado asking nonstop questions about her and Lincoln 'dating'. Even more so, Lynn was armed with the thought that Ronnie's very presence would help smooth things over.

However, studying his face, Lynn could see that Lincoln appeared just fine despite Ronnie's absence. Not to mention he seemed to have gotten used to the fact his sisters were in school. Her eyes were drawn to the black cast over his left arm, catching the small movement of his fingers poking out of it. Her stomach sank at this subtle reminder of why she shouldn't be doing this. Maybe she should just go and eat from outside like she usually did on these days, silently watching her brother heal from a distance. After all, why would he want to talk to the same girl who wrestled or jumped him without warning, tossing sports balls in his direction when she knew he wasn't looking? And why the heck would Lincoln even bother talking to Lynn after she broke his arm over a little mistake?

Lynn curled her hands into fists, her brows knitting as she started gaining back her resolve. Lisa spent a good while doing her homework figuring out the best way to tackle their brother's problem, and was Ms. Sporty really going to spit on it like Lisa did to her face and call a quits? Lynn was never one to take a challenge lightly in all her years of competing, no matter how stacked the odds were. Sure, the circumstances were different, but right now? Her main goal was to win Lincoln's trust, or at least test the waters on how long he could tolerate her presence before getting too unnerved to speak.

"Ok Lynn...as long as you don't do anything to scare him, this should be easy." The jock spoke to herself. "Just gotta stroll in, smile, and ask how his day is. And _don't_ look at his arm..." Lynn added, though her confident tone faltered as she found herself staring at the obvious injury. Pushing the door open, the young athlete calmly walked through the masses of students, making her way towards the boys who failed to notice her presence. A gurgling sound from Lynn's stomach made her pause half-way towards her targets. Looking to the lunch line, a new idea popped into her head. Surely they wouldn't mind her eating with them for a few minutes, right?

"No, the cops were too busy tear gassin' him to ask what he was doing up there." Liam told the other boys, who were a mix of half listening and half eating absentmindedly. "Ellis screamed for _six whole months_ every time he opened his eyes. It was funny after a while, but then it got sad. And then it was funny again because we found him trying to put the moves on a cow." The farm boy let out a short chortle. "The look on his face when we told him was priceless!"

"Doesn't it sound a little extreme for the police to gas him when he was just shooting birds?" Zach asked.

"He technically had to have a gun with him to do that, and it doesn't take a genius to know that someone firing a gun like crazy is against the law." Clyde inquired, biting into his sandwich.

"Yeah, I remember auntie sayin' it had somethin' to do with that." Liam replied.

"Is your cousin kinda weird?" Rusty added, giving a light snort. "I mean, what else did he do? Get run over by his own lawn mower?"

"Actually, he did." Liam replied, biting into his sub. "It was one of them mowers you can ride in. Didn't get cut too deep, but most of his body was covered in 'em."

Rusty gave a surprised blink. "...I was joking, but ok." He shrugged.

Lincoln stayed silent as he ate. He listened to Liam's tale, but didn't have anything to say that wasn't already said. The longer he stared at his 3 redheaded friends, the more he began to understand why he ended up developing the personas they have in his dreams. Liam being a cowboy from his farmer aspects was very noteworthy, though now that Lincoln thought about it, didn't cowboys live on a ranch? He guessed that Liam's farm counted as one since it had animals like chickens and pigs. He even saw a few cows at some point too.

With Rusty, there have been numerous times he acted like he knew something but really didn't, normally playing around whatever he said in order to save face. He also brags about knowing certain people to get things done, like fancy duds from his dad. That would explain the tux...as well as the few times Rusty did have a credible source, it was to everyone's benefit. It could go either way with that guy.

For Zach, Lincoln recalled the one time the boy really did blow up the science lab after unknowingly mixing two volatile chemicals. He distinctly remembered how bad his hair looked, covered in smoke, a big bald spot in the center of his head, and it was fizzing out in all directions. A flash of guilt flowed through Lincoln as he also recalled how the girl...what was her name...Kat? Anyway, Kat complained about getting part of her hair burnt off, though it still flowed down to the middle of her back. Zach was, understandably, upset at Lincoln for the rest of the day. It ended when Lincoln took a bunch of salty pies to the face though. Because this incident was a one time thing, it did feel a little odd that Zach was a true demolitionist. Unlike Lily, Zach used _real_ bombs; you know, the kind of stuff that would leave you in so many pieces they'd have to glue you back together in hell? Lincoln supposed that Zach in his dreams grew interested in explosives following that incident, and he could definitely make a deadly match-up with Lily. Distraction and live explosives? Good luck walking away with all of your limbs still attached.

Temporarily moving away from his dreams, Lincoln absently took another bite of his sub whilst lazily looking around the lunchroom. He spotted a few other students he knew in his class like Girl Jordan, Mollie, Chandler, Artie, and Andrew. The rest were students he knew were in his class, but didn't remember their names, or older and younger kids who weren't in his grade. Well, besides a certain Loud sister calmly walking towards their table with a food tray in her hands.

Lincoln's mind stopped hard like a train suddenly activating its emergency brake.

Doubling back to the right, he thought he was just seeing things for a second. His heart began to quiver anxiously as he confirmed that it was indeed one of his sisters coming up to them. Even worse, it was the strongest one...

Lynn started walking slower upon seeing Lincoln make eye contact with her. She noted how his body was tensing up like a deer or rabbit that looked frightened upon a nearby human approaching it, which told the brunette he was getting ready to bolt as soon as he felt threatened. _"Ok, he's looking at me...don't do anything to make him run...and now the others are looking too..."_ The young athlete sighed inwardly.

The general chatter in the lunch room filled the silence between herself and the boys as Lynn stood 5 feet away from their table. Lynn studied each of the boys without much of a word. Clyde and Liam were rather surprised she came up, both of them constantly peeking looks at Lincoln to show they were more concerned about him. Rusty and Zach were utterly confused as this wasn't part of their normal agreement. With Lincoln...Lynn tried not to stare at him for too long. The poor boy was on the verge of having another anxiety attack; every few seconds he would give a tremble or two, all of which was caught by Lynn's watchful gaze. The athlete couldn't tell whether Lincoln was trying hard to mask the fact he was scared, or debating on whether or not he should make up an excuse to get as far away from her as possible. During the times she wasn't looking directly at him, Lynn could tell Lincoln was slowly growing interested.

The boy's gut was telling him to discreetly get out of his seat and calmly walk towards the exit, then run like hell once he got past the door. However, Lincoln's brain was telling it that such movement would be impossible. He knew Lynn was much faster than he could ever hope to be, as him trying to escape his fateful beating was enough proof; heck, she was strong enough to whoop not only him, but everyone at the table and still have energy to spare. Lincoln was really wishing Ronnie Anne was here...at least she could stand a fight against the terror standing in front of him...

Lincoln stared down at his food to avoid looking at his sister. _"Last time she was this close...I hit her with my tray..."_ Even in his own head, his voice sounded like a whisper. The fingers of his right hand grazed the side of the tray in thought. _"She ran off last time...maybe I could do it again if she tries anything. Yeah, that may work."_ The boy bit his lip as his confidence began to fade. _"But...it might've just been in the moment. She's probably mad at me about it too..."_ His eyes widened in terror. _"What if she's here to pay me back for that? Or what if she wants to break my other arm?! Wait, why is her hair down?"_ Lincoln thought as his thought process grinded to a crawl.

It was fortunate for everyone that, unlike previous times where Lincoln only knew fear when it came to being near any sibling besides the youngest, there was a layer of confusion blocking his anxiety from taking complete control. Aside from her hair being down, Lincoln also noticed she was wearing a hoodie and jeans in favor of her usual jersey and shorts. Now that he thought of it, she wasn't wearing them either when she visited him in the clinic. Looking back up at her hair, Lincoln couldn't remember a time at any point of his life he had seen Lynn's hair free flowing so willingly. Sure, there were some nights where he might've caught a glimpse of Lynn without her ponytail after she just got out of the shower, but she usually kept it up when she slept; as if the time they shared a room together was enough proof. Even when they were younger, Lynn always had part of her hair tied up in pigtails like Lana once it grew out enough.

The boy's mind wondered back to the day they had that school assembly, when Luan actually...helped him. She was dressed in her usual skirt and blouse, but her light brown hair was down past the middle of her back. And if he thought hard enough, her fake flower wasn't on her shirt that day either. Like Lynn, Lincoln knew Luan never had let hair down without reason, even while sleeping. He honestly didn't understand why they didn't. Ronnie Anne once told him she undoes her ponytail before bed since it feels uncomfortable sleeping on a mass of knotted hair; plus, both of his sister's ponytails were positioned directly on the back of their heads as opposed to Ronnie Anne's hanging near her shoulders.

Where was he going with this again? Oh, right. Luan's hair...there was a time when he did witness such a site, similar to what Lincoln had witnessed that day. Luan had been in a bit of a slump due to being in a position his older sisters called 'The Friend Zone'. He didn't know exactly what it meant (or what was wrong with it since he had plenty of friends), but the gist was that Luan _really_ liked this guy named Benny, but he didn't feel the same way and preferred to stay friends. If the middle child had to guess how long ago it was, it had been around the time he had been crushing on a girl named Paige, which was about a month or so before Ronnie Anne started picking on him; and that was like, nine months ago? Honestly, he forgot about Paige after Ronnie Anne revealed that she really did like him, so Lincoln supposed he was spared from whatever pain Luan was feeling. Either way, Lincoln at least knew that Luan would have her hair down because she was too depressed to care about her overall appearance.

Did that mean...Luan was sad?...Was that the reason why she didn't even try to hurt him? And if so, why?...

Many more questions were popping up in Lincoln's head that he almost didn't catch the little discussion happening in front of him.

"Sorry Lynn, but we can't let you sit here." Clyde answered.

"Yeah, this is a 'Boys Only' table." Rusty added.

Lynn bit her tongue to hold back a frown at that statement. She didn't want to give Lincoln more of a reason to not trust her. "I just wanted to spend time with you guys and my brother. We don't really see each other these days..." She spoke in a sincere tone, using a semi-broken voice to added effect.

Sort of truth to that. Lincoln couldn't tell if Lynn was being sincere, though his friends weren't too convinced. "Well, uh, we're kinda busy eatin' here and there ain't enough room for ya to sit." Liam spoke softly, idly moving his books into a space next to him.

"Also, lunch is gonna end soon." Zach pointed out.

"Actually, we still have 20 minutes to eat, then we got recess." Clyde corrected.

Rusty elbowed him. "Dude!" He hissed in a low voice.

 _"Simplest advice I can give is to keep an open mind. Fear can be both rational and irrational."_ Mrs. Lopez's words repeated themselves in Lincoln's head as his sister continued pleading with his friends for a seat.

On one hand, Lynn would have a reason to be after him after the incident at the hospital. Denying her a seat could also set her off knowing what little patience she has. On the other hand, she wouldn't try to cause a ruckus with so many students around, and she didn't change her appearance for any reason unless a competition was involved. Along with the fact her hair was down like Luan's, Lincoln started to think Lynn might've been upset about something as well. At least, not upset in the usual way; broken punching bags could attest to a pent up Lynn needing to cut loose. Maybe there was something wrong that went on a deeper level that he couldn't quite understand, and Mrs. Lopez did tell him to try and see things for what they were instead of assuming the worst.

Lynn was growing steadily frustrated, but tried not to show it. "Look, I know this is about what happened over a month ago, and me saying 'I'm sorry' isn't gonna fix anything, but-"

"L-Let her sit." The rest of the group went wide-eyed, directing their attention to the white-haired child. "S-she can sit with us...she's my s-sister..." Lincoln spoke in an uneasy voice, holding onto his bad arm to keep himself still.

Lynn's mind went blank for a moment, making sure that she didn't hear him wrong. Did he...did Lincoln really allow her to _sit_ near him? Just a week ago, he was panicking at the being in the same building as her and everyone else, and now he was offering her a seat? Seeing Liam moving his books, Lynn decided not to press her luck in asking and sat down, just to the opposite of her brother. The other boys kept making glances between Lynn and Lincoln, wary of anything that might suddenly pop off. Surprisingly, Lincoln kept quite as he ate, though every minute or two Lynn would catch him staring at her before hastily looking back at his food to avoid drawing an ire that was never there.

It wasn't long before Lynn finally allowed herself to munch on her sub. "So..." She took a bite. "How's everyone doing?" The jock spoke with a mouth full, spraying a few bits onto her tray.

"Peachy..." Rusty claimed, sulking into his seat. "My main weakness is right after recess, and I'm not ready for it!"

"You mean math?" Zach asked.

"Pff, no. I'm an _ace_ at math!"

Liam squinted his eyes at the taller redhead. "Didn't you beg Ms. Johnson to give you a C last time?"

"No? I mean, just a little."

Lynn gave a light chuckle. "Ever ask for a tutor?"

"Well, if Rusty would pay attention instead of _gawking at the girl that lives across the street_ _from my house_ , he would be passing easily." Clyde smirked.

Rusty gave a faux hurt look. "I will have you know that I DO NOT do such things." He folded his arms. "Most of the time..."

The group let out a small laugh, even Lincoln managed a small smile. Lynn stole a glance at her brother, who luckily didn't appear to notice. Having a closer view of him, he looked to be healthier than he had been weeks prior; the bags around his eyes weren't from lack of sleep but more of how they typically were. Come to think of it, Lynn actually noticed that aside from Lincoln, only their parents had eyebags. Neither her nor her sisters contained them, surprisingly as many times they get on each others nerves. Maybe she'd ask Lisa about it, though chances were it might be due to his constant stress. Anyway, Lincoln's hair was better kept, the face appeared to lack any residual sweat that Lynn assumed would come from his panic attacks, and he appeared to be eating just fine despite knowing how much his teeth were damaged. The iconic chip in his tooth was noticeably bigger from Lynn's perspective.

The Louds knew the cause behind the first chip, but for those that didn't, let's just say a wayward ball from Lynn found a target on Lincoln's face. The young athlete could still remember the tongue lashing she got from both parents for her recklessness, especially with that crack being on the only tooth that was permanent at the time.

Shifting her gaze southward, Lynn found herself once again staring at the hardened black cloth that was the cast of Lincoln's arm. The brunette told herself not to stare, but she couldn't help it. Lynn wasn't by any means a doctor, so she couldn't tell what kind of condition the limb would be in. It must've been doing nicely seeing that Lincoln was flexing his fingers without any issues. If there was a smile on her face, it faded as Lynn thought about the potential complications her brother could have after breaking his arm at the elbow. He might not be able to use that arm to its full potential due to a weakened joint, have a limited stretching aspect, stiff movement, or even experience sudden aches with it for the rest of his life. Now, the 13 year old wasn't sure if any of those would be true, but it'd likely be the same way if she broke her leg one too many times. Last time she did, she was stuck with crutches for a few weeks, and seeing Lincoln stuck with this cast for more than a month made her feel even worse; it felt as if she gave him a scar he would never be able to get rid of, and Lynn felt she nearly ruined his life before Lincoln had a chance to really start it.

Lincoln watched his sister carefully through his peripheral, wondering what she was trying to do. He subtly followed her gaze to his cast, and unlike the smirk or whatever smug look he expected Lynn to have since her injury lasted the longest, he saw a forlorn frown that matched the sorrow filling her eyes. As Lincoln began to silently stare back, the other boys ceased their discussion out of confusion; did the Louds just enter some unspoken staring contest, or were they talking to each other mentally?

After a few minutes, Lynn finally broke her gaze, staring at her food while her stomach no longer wished to be filled. Giving a sigh, "I hope you can forgive me Lincoln..." She muttered in a whisper. "I gotta go..." Lynn spoke loud enough for the boys to hear, standing up before walking her tray to the trash can.

The boys followed the jock with their eyes until they saw her exit the lunchroom entirely.

"Well, that was weird." Zach started.

"We still got like, 12 minutes left don't we?" Liam asked, to which Rusty looked at his watch.

Clyde looked towards his best friend, who was still staring at the exit doors. "You ok Lincoln?"

The Loud blinked his eyes as he came back into focus. "Y-Yeah. I'm fine."

"You sure? You looked like you spaced out for a sec. Lynn didn't scare you too much, did she?"

Lincoln shook his head. "No...but, I'm...I just have a lot on my mind right now." He stared his food tray for a moment, before pushing it away from him. "I'm not hungry anymore..."

The other boys looked amongst themselves in confusion and worry. They didn't know what exactly was eating up Lincoln this time; they expected him to be more relieved that his sister was no longer around, and yet, he seemed upset by that. They also worried about failing to do their job, but in spite of them refusing to let Lynn sit, they never expected the boy whose avoiding his own kin to allow one to be that close to him. Then again, it wasn't like Lynn was actively threatening them; though they had no prior warning via text what she was planning to do. Regardless, as lunch was coming to an end, the boys hoped Lincoln would feel better after some time outside.

What no one realized however, was that Lincoln heard those six words Lynn uttered to herself before leaving. And part of him wanted to say that he did...

 **A/N: I had more I wanted to write, but I'll save it for the next chapter as Lincoln needs some time to think about what's been going on, especially after this last meeting with Lynn. Confusion is beginning to override his fear as Lincoln is taking Dr. Lopez's advice to heart, and trying to peak through the haze clouding his mind with thoughts that his sisters want to finish the job. It is also bringing up some past memories that aren't so bad, but now the Loud boy is further questioning his own actions as well as those of his siblings, trying to determine who is in the right and whether what his sisters were telling him are true.**

 **For this chapter, I decided to go with Lynn since I had no idea how I could fit Luan into this scenario; aside from the reasons listed in the chapter, Lynn is more predictable than Luan is. Lynn will get angry when things don't go her way, while Luan will put on a nice face before pranking you later on. And those are two facts Lincoln would be well aware of. If Luan were to go first, it'd be even more awkward because of those facts, and Lynn already had a hard time due to Lincoln still healing his broken arm.**

 **As for Rusty and Zach's personas, I figured Rusty would be some kind of magician since real-life magic tricks are largely based on illusions the audience would be surprised by until they could figure it out, and Rusty being Rusty, that can work into his favor by using his wits and environment to his advantage. He'll be at a serious disadvantage if the girls get within punching distance though. As for Zach, honestly had no idea what to do with him, so I took that one moment from Girl Guru and morphed that into something that's similar to Junkrat from Overwatch. In quite a few fanfics on that game, authors write that junkrat is pretty smart when it comes to building his own bombs and testing them daily for good results; could easily fit in well with a kid who accidentally destroyed a science lab.**

 **Anyway, with that out of the way, both sides will be dealing with the aftermath of this first meeting. Whether this will increase the chances of Lincoln losing his fear quicker is up for debate.**


	31. Finding Clarity

**A/N: Continuing on from the last chapter, Lincoln has been left in a state of confusion that demands answers. He didn't freak out after seeing one of his other sisters like he typically would, but Lynn knew he was still apprehensive of her presence. She could only imagine what would happen if she and Lincoln were locked in the same room without anyone else; case in point, she wanted to leave before she overstayed her welcome. Can you imagine Lincoln huddled in a corner with a little spoon as a shield? Or clawing at the window, desperately trying to get it open? A bit unlikely, but that's what Lynn assumes what would be the outcome. Now, let's look at how Lincoln is coping after that chance meeting.**

 **Note that this chapter does get a bit technical on character traits in a couple scenes, so bear with it please.**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

Unfortunately for what was predicted, recess had been no different for Lincoln; he stood around like he was in a trance while his friends played tetherball. They asked him to join, but the Loud kindly declined. Not wanting to pressure the boy, they left him to his thoughts while keeping an eye on him in case he wondered off. During the previous days of recess, Lincoln would at least make an effort to play tetherball since the sport only required one hand. Being outside also allowed himself to relax as it gave Lincoln a good all-around view should one of his sisters approach out of nowhere. Speaking of which, his mind was still stuck on what happened at lunch. It wasn't so much that Lynn's very presence that troubled him (well, it sort of was), it was how she did it. Whenever Lincoln thinks of the sporty Loud, she was either boastful, egotistic, tossing things at him without warning, dragging him to do whatever sport she wanted, and whatever words you could come up with as a synonym for rude.

Today, Lynn was...Lincoln might say she was a cross between Leni, Lucy, and maybe a hint of Lori. She was fairly quiet and nice, a little persistent, but was acting more her age that he had previously seen (not counting the hospital visits). Interestingly, Lincoln noted that Lynn seemed to avoid talking to him entirely. The short glances she gave him made Lincoln think that she was considering it, but ultimately kept the conversation among his friends. And her eyes...

Lincoln blinked, feeling a couple stray tears starting to gently flow away from the corners of his sockets. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, a fair amount of brotherly instinct developed in his chest; for a moment when he gazed at those pearly whites, he felt the pain Lynn was expressing. But at the same time, he couldn't be too certain. Lynn was predictable, but Lincoln knew she could often catch him off guard even on the best of days. These new thoughts were added onto a laundry pile of other things running around in Lincoln's head: the sister fight protocol, past incidents where he ticked off his sisters, the beating itself, Lincoln's friends who were so willing to protect him, his dreams, his therapy sessions, and now...this...

The Loud boy flinched and squinted his eyes shut as the school bell's ringing echoed across the yard, incidentally causing him a migraine. He put his hand to his head to his head, not noticing Clyde coming up behind him. "Lincoln, come on. We got classes to do."

"Back to the dungeon...yay..." Rusty moaned, dragging his feet on the grass as he made his way to the doors.

Clyde raised an eyebrow, watching Lincoln scratch his head. "Ok, I know I asked before, but are you sure you're ok? You've been quiet since lunch, and I'm assuming you got a headache."

"How could you tell?" Lincoln opened an eye to glance at him.

Clyde gave him an unamused look. "You always put your hand to your head when you start getting one." He grabbed Lincoln on the arm before pulling him to the building. "So what's really on your mind?"

"Everything..." Lincoln groaned. "I'm not so sure about things as I used to, my dreams are like some big adventure that might lead to something, and now..." The boy paused as he and Clyde got separated for a few seconds after going through the doors. "I know how my sisters will usually act when things don't seem to go their way, and I was certain that they're up to something no good when it involves me. But at the same time..." Lincoln breathed through his nose. "It feels like I don't know _anything_..."

"Well, you didn't freak out upon seeing Lynn." Clyde responded.

"That's because I was more confused than afraid. I'm pretty sure I would've ran out the nearest door if that wasn't the case."

"I'm still surprised that you didn't." Clyde stopped at his locker and began fiddling with the lock. "If you're having a hard time trying to get your brain together, you could always call Dr. Lopez. Works for me every time." The nerdy child put in his combination and undid the lock, grabbing a few books.

Lincoln raised a brow. "But I didn't make an appointment the last time we talked."

"So, call her office. Keep in mind that she doesn't like it if you phone her _too_ often."

 _"Not too surprised from that Clyde..."_ Lincoln sighed inwardly.

In spite of the advice, time wasn't something he had right now. The late bell would ring any minute, but fortunately, Lincoln didn't need many materials for his next class. Art was one of those subjects where 'Freedom of Expression' was something the teacher tended to take seriously, and much of the work done was typically drawing freestyle or in a certain way for a grade. Books were only needed if the class was to go over a historical figure like Picasso. Upon walking in, Lincoln saw the desks pushed against the wall with canvases filling what would've been empty space. The Loud smiled a little; the teacher usually had these put out when he wanted the class to spend time to practice their own particular styles. Lincoln usually got A's in this class since he could be creative with his work, a fact he didn't particularly notice or care for until recently. He was grateful that Lynn didn't break his right arm, lest his drawings would look like the equivalent of a 4 year old making stick figures. Honestly, ever tried writing with the hand you don't normally use? It feels awkward as heck and you can barely read what you made. Not everyone was born with the gift of being ambidextrous.

It was also on certain days of the week where Lincoln shared this class with another close friend of his.

Ronnie Anne came out of the closet, brows knitted and tongue out as she fiddled with the apron strings behind her. Spotting Lincoln setting up at the canvas next to hers, "Hey Lame-O, mind helping me with this?"

Lincoln glanced behind him before giving a small nod. Ronnie Anne turned as he knelt down, fiddling with the laces until he tied them into a bow. This was the system they had in class: Lincoln would help her because Ronnie Anne always had a hard time tying an apron, and Lincoln couldn't tie his effectively for obvious reasons. In many cases, it would look awkward for both of them, especially since Lincoln could only use one hand freely and needed to be closer than usual to Ronalda to tie the strings effectively. However, he could still use the fingers of his lefty to hold the laces while the right did most of the work.

The first time Ronnie Anne asked him to do it, a few students decided it was a good idea to send a few teases their way; the entire class spent the whole period cleaning the room as paint became splattered all over the walls in the ensuing fight.

"And, done!" Lincoln stood up, shaking his legs to get blood flowing through them again.

"Thanks. Now hold still." Ronnie Anne took another apron out of the front pocket, putting the opening over Lincoln's head before he turned so she could tie it to him. "So how was lunch? Heard from the guys that Lynn was there..."

Lincoln flinched a little at the mention. His head throbbed slightly, but chose to ignore it. "It was...surprisingly ok..."

The Hispanic girl raised a brow. "You sure?" She pulled on the laces a bit, her tone becoming more authoritative. "You don't sound like it went well."

"N-no, it was fine. L-Lynn didn't try anything, even though I wanted to get out of there as soon as I could..." Lincoln felt his body jerk back a little as Ronnie Anne pulled the laces again before she released him. "She looked...different. Her hair was down, baggie clothing...then I thought back to how Luan was acting last Thursday and..." The boy went silent for a moment, staring at the emptiness of his canvas. "I really should call Mrs. Lopez when I can..."

Before Ronnie Anne could press further, Mr. Schueller walked in. "Alright class, smocks on." He waited for a few seconds to let the students finish getting their stuff ready. "Now, as you may have noticed, there are no paint products placed on your canvases. For those of you who remember what happened _last week_ ," The man glared at a few students, including Ronnie Anne. "It's obvious that I can't trust you all to not use what little paint we have for what they're intended for! But, because I'm fair, I'll still allow you to use the canvases. With a stencil."

Half the class groaned, knowing that it wasn't as fun drawing on canvas paper without a paint brush. Some even had issues with using a stencil out of a tendency to press too hard onto the sheet and cause a small hole. The other half found it suitable, seeing it as it was easier to correct a mistake should the wrong color be used.

"Now, grab those stencils and let your minds wonder. Art is about creativity, and I want to see what pictures or scenarios you can take from those brains and etch them into a masterpiece!"

Over-exaggerated as it might have been, the students set to work, occasionally making time for small talk as they drew. The next half hour was filled with the sound of stencils scratching canvas and the footsteps of the teacher walking around to check on their progress that mixed in well with the idle chatter. For Lincoln, he found such a simple task all but impossible. His mind was too scattered to think of one specific scene or picture, and the fact he still hadn't gotten over his headache was making him more antsy as he spotted the teacher nearing his and Ronnie Anne's position. Glancing at his friend, Lincoln could tell Ronnie was in sync with her work; her hand was moving to various places along the sheet as sketched her image into reality. The thought crossed him to ask her for help, but this was something he'd have to produce on his own. And he'd have to think quickly, cause Mr. Schueller was only a couple steps away; no one likes getting a zero for an easy assignment, unless you're one of those people who couldn't care less and just take it anyway, you bums.

Giving an inward groan, Lincoln pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes shut. If this headache wanted to stick around, he might as well pick _something_ from his raging thoughts to use as an assignment. The debates from earlier knocked on the frontal lobe, each one fighting for Lincoln's attention. After a few moments, the Ace Savvy dream camp won out and dominated his thoughts. While unexpected and unusual from the night terrors Lincoln had to endure before them, the boy had to admit they were a nice break from waking up covered in sweat (and wet pants). Thinking of his sisters' personas, his friends' identities, and how they were supposed to solve this impending meeting between the Full House and their ragtag group left no room for any self-doubt or worries; instead, this opened an intriguing question: how would people with varying powers and abilities match up in a full scale fight? Some had advantages that could be used quite handsomely against one person, while at the same time shutting down (or be rendered useless by) other characters.

As he took stock of all of his sisters' and friends' powers, Lincoln grabbed a stencil and let his hand go to work on the paper.

High Card was as much of a skilled fighter as Ace was, being troublesome for Wrangler and even Mirage and Jack. However, Mirage could have the advantage if he managed to trick High Card into lowering her guard and making her an easier target for a follow-up attack by another ally. The teen could also be almost easily countered by Ace-sassin due to her weapon range as well as Deuce and Mad Bomber, who could just sit back and keep lobbing grenades at her. Eleven of Hearts was possibly an even match for Wrangler since both of their weapons were some form of rope. Whoever would win that engagement depended on who could tie up the other first. However, Eleven wasn't too bright, which would allow Mirage to easily distract her; Ace-sassin would just shoot through her fabric and of course, the two bombers would once again rain explosives on her with near impunity.

Then there was Night Club. She would undoubtedly be a hard counter to the bombers as her wicked sounds could disable the explosive primers in their projectiles, and possibly make their weapons useless if she were to use her amp. If the musician had space, she could also produce sounds that could disable most of the team should they be grouped together. However, there was a chance to take her out if Wrangler could take her instrument away, allowing Ace and even Jack to deal with her swiftly. As an added bonus, counting that gun ammunition is already supersonic when fired, Ace-sassin could just shoot her amp to pieces as well as her guitar if needed. As his mind panned to Joker, Lincoln figured she was about as much of a wild card as Mirage, proving an even match. This also made her an opponent one should use caution with for anyone else on Ace's team, unless they were able to spot her tricks early. Disabling her movement might be best, a field Wrangler excels at. Ace already dealt with her once, and she seemed to rely mostly on her prank devices than anything else, which included some explosives she rarely used. Perhaps Deuce would be a hard counter to her, as the stink bombs would easily disable a prankster like her.

Next on the list was Strong Suit. Given her straightforward nature and toughness, she'd be a pain to deal with hand to hand, so she was a good counter for Ace and Jack. Mirage wouldn't flat out stand a chance if he was rushed before he could set something up, and while Wrangler could possibly hogtie her, she'd break out of the ropes eventually. Her ability to evade permanent immobilization came in handy the few times she did get captured after all. The strong armed girl would also be a decent matchup for Ace-sassin as she was the most bullet resistant member of the Full House aside from Queen of Diamonds due to having hardened skin. However, Ace-sassin promised to bring something that could break Strong Suit's defenses, so it was a 50/50 tossup of who would win. The two bombers were good so long as they kept out of punching distance. Eight of Spades would be tricky, as she had a knack for avoiding conflict and picking off key opponents from the shadows. Mad Bomber and Deuce would be in a world of trouble if they didn't watch themselves around her, and there was little that could deceive her when it came to illusions, making Mirage a poor choice. Ace-sassin would also have to be wary of using her weapons, as Eight can deflect shots with that thick shovel of hers. As such, Ace and Jack would be better suited since they'd just need to lure her out and avoid potential pits she might've dug. Wrangler would also be a hard counter to her, seeing as he could just drag her out into the open.

With Royal Flush, Lincoln paused in his drawing to think. She was really good with plumbing and could throw off the movement of everyone on the team if she was allowed to flood an area. Such an act would make Ace's group easy pickings for the rest of the Full House. The water also nullified the gas from Deuce's explosives, making her a hard counter for the RPG user. She wasn't half bad at hand to hand either; one hit from that wrench will send you to your maker. However, if the others could best her in combat, the plumber would go down. Not only that, if there was no water source available, Flush would be much easier to deal with. Alternatively, Mad Bomber could use his explosives to make a concussive force to knock her around, turning her own attack against her. But, Royal Flush could alternatively dig into the ground to find a suitable pipe to burst. She was honestly a real headscratcher; Lincoln knew Lana has some mechanical knowledge with how frequent she works on the beaten down ride the family calls a van, but she was stuck with plumbing skills for the time being. Maybe she'd express that fact later on.

Lincoln gave a little shrug before getting absorbed into his work again, now shifting his thoughts to Queen of Diamonds. Given her ability to create diamond shards and fling them accurately, she's definitely more dangerous when at range and possibly the most _lethal_ outside of the two bombers on Ace's team. That isn't to say she wouldn't be a close match for the bombers as, while they don't need to aim much, the queen could pick them off like a sniper. She can also cut up Wrangler's ropes and rob him of his main weapon. However, when matched against Ace-sassin, it was a close match or about even. Ace-sassin could shoot Queen's shards out of the air (and possibly risk running out of ammo) and attempt to outgun her. Not only that, Queen needs to focus when making her shards, something that she'd be unable to do if Ace-sassin managed to land a good shot. But, as mentioned before, Queen of Diamonds was the next best bullet resistant member of the team. She could project a diamond shield that was capable deflecting projectiles, sometimes back at the user or at others. This shield also protected her from small explosives if they didn't through her off her feet. The crown Queen wears is also infamously used as a melee weapon, easily tearing through fabric and skin.

However, as proven during the time she fought with Ace, said crown is what helps her focus her projections. If it were to break, her power would be halved. It would all come down to who could land the first shot and best each other in a brawl. As for the others of Ace's group, they'd have to either take cover or use something to protect themselves from the incoming shards. And when fighting in close, they'd have to be extremely wary if the queen decided to use a shard like a knife.

Lastly, there was Card Counter. Being the brains of the operation, and the main reason Ace lost the fight against his sisters, she would no doubt try to limit her exposure in combat to coordinate the Full House's movements. Finding her may be tricky, but she'd most likely be in a spot where she can look down at the battlefield. Powerful from a distance, but even Lincoln had to admit that CC wasn't a close combatant. Sure, she could pick off weakened opponents, but against a strong adversary? Her best bet would be to either outsmart them or call in the aid of a teammate. However, this didn't mean CC wouldn't have any means to temporarily incapacitate her opponents; any fight with the little genius should be used with caution, as there was no telling what kind of gadgets she'd have in her pockets.

Ronnie Anne glanced over from her sketch to check on Lincoln's, only to gawk at the detail of the characters and the overall scene he was drawing. "Geez Lincoln, I didn't think you'd go all out."

Lincoln flinched as his concentration was broken, making a small hash mark that drew away from one character. "Huh?"

Ronnie Anne raised a brow as the characters looked quite familiar. "Aren't these your sisters?" She pointed at a couple people with the dull point of her stencil.

Looking at the drawing, Lincoln could hardly believe the piece in front of him was his own doing. While it wasn't exactly professional, it looked as if it was done by someone who had practiced drawing for about a year. The scene depicted exactly what was playing out in his head: a fight between the Full House and Ace's group. Each member of the Full House was engaged in combat with at least one adversary, sometimes two sisters fighting the same person. Based on the positions of everyone's places, it sort of looked like a cloud fight, but without all the smoke and dirt to obscure it.

"Yeah...yeah they are." Lincoln replied, looking down at the stencil he held.

Mr. Schueller popped up behind them, giving their works a quick glance. "Hmm, seems someone is actually trying for once. Nicely done Lincoln." He spoke before moving to check on the rest of the class.

Ronnie Anne looked between her drawing and Lincoln's, a small frown unknowingly taking shape. "Suddenly I feel like this is pointless..." She put the stencil on the small rack below the paper.

"What do you mean?" Lincoln asked, looking at what his friend drew. A relatively simple drawing of herself, her mom, and her brother. Not bad, even though the body dimensions were a bit off and the faces looked a bit plain.

"The fact you suddenly decided to reveal that you're a pro artist..." Ronalda folded her arms, giving a small pouty face.

"I'm...not really an artist. I don't even draw much."

"Really?" Ronalda turned her heated gaze to him before pointing at the drawing. "Cause you can't sit here and say that when I got proof standing right-" The tomboy paused, her focus now on two particular characters. "Hold on..." She traced her finger down to a heroine holding handguns taking aim at what looked to be another heroine wearing a sport's themed card suit. "Is that...me?..."

Lincoln felt his cheeks heating up as he focused on what she was pointing at. "Y-Yeah...and Rusty, and Liam, and Zach, and Clyde..."

Ronalda looked among the picture, spotting their aforementioned friends as well as identifying the rest of Lincoln's sisters. One looked a bit familiar, but she couldn't place the name. "Ok...so to start from scratch," She looked back at the boy, "How did you end up drawing something like this?"

Lincoln tapped his foot in an attempt to dispel the awkwardness building within him. "...I've been having crazy dreams lately..."

"You mean the nightmares you've told us about before?"

"Not really. I stopped having those after I fell asleep reading Ace Savvy one night."

Ronnie Anne gave a half-lidded look. "Sounds corny, and geeky..."

"But, the dreams I've been having since then are like some big adventure I'm going through. I fall asleep for a bit then wake up trying to remember what happened before it finally hits me in the face. It's like I'm looking at two different worlds, but I have noticed they're almost the same."

The tomboy raised a brow. "How so?"

Lincoln bit his lip. "...Most of my sisters still beat me up badly the first time it happened..." That wasn't surprising to the Hispanic girl, but she didn't say anything. "Then, I started recruiting you guys to help me deal with my sisters...or at least try to find out why they betrayed me and Lily..."

"So _that's_ who it was." Ronalda glanced back at the drawing. "She looks much older though."

"She's 7 in there. I already told Clyde about it, and he said I should talk with Mrs. Lopez about it more." The Loud glanced at the door to the room. "Especially after lunch..."

"Well I think you should follow his advice." The tomboy lightly prodded his forehead, getting him to focus back on her. "You got a lot going on in that noggin of yours Loud, and you need to figure out how to get it fixed. I mean, I'll beat them up for you any day of the week, but no one wants to see you screaming like a girl all the time."

Lincoln curled his lips earthward at the slight tease, despite it being true. He looked at the drawing of himself in Ace Savvy's uniform, who was currently fighting High Card alongside One-Eyed Jack. His heart began to sink as the differences between himself and his dream persona made themselves present again. "Sometimes I wish this was all a dream...at least then I wouldn't be weak and scared all the time. Or I could just wake up..."

The tomboy gave a frown of her own. "No one said you were weak Lincoln. Scared like crazy? Yeah, but you aren't weak." She would've added a slight negative undertone to it, but decided against it since it would make her own advice sound void.

"What makes you say otherwise?"

"Last week you nearly wet yourself after thinking you heard one of your sisters, not to mention acted like the Harvester was after you. Now, you just sat down with Lynn and didn't run away. So I'd say you're starting to act more like how ever you dream yourself to be, even though you don't think you are." Ronalda glanced at the drawing again, spotting Lincoln's persona fighting against Lori. "Captain Undies." She giggled.

The heat returned to Lincoln's cheeks as he furrowed his brows. "I-It's part of the costume! All superheroes wear them."

"Then why is mine wearing shorts?" Ronalda tapped her character on the paper.

Lincoln opened his mouth and lifted a finger as if he was going to point out an obvious fact, but couldn't think of a good reason now that he thought more about it. The rest of his friends sans Clyde didn't have what would appear to be undies exposed on their costumes, but himself and Clyde were following what was already a set design. It might also be the reason he was laughed at by his siblings during the time he cosplayed for an Ace Savvy convention at the mall. The boy closed his mouth and lowered his finger as his mind focused on that one incident, another bout of depression starting to course through him. Lincoln didn't remember how he managed to clog the toilet, aside from it having to do with a book, but he easily recalled getting grounded for it; missing a convention he waited several months for was one thing, but getting roasted for his choice of costume for a whole week was another.

Back then, Lincoln told himself that sometimes, one needed to have a thick skin. Unfortunately, his didn't seem as thick as he originally thought. Maybe it wouldn't have been an issue had the teasing only lasted a few hours, but the constant wearing on his defenses over a period of days finally ruptured the wall that would've kept the insults out.

'Hey Lincoln, let me borrow your cape. These dishes aren't gonna dry themselves.' Lynn told him once.

'Are you gonna start wearing your undies on the outside everyday?' Lana asked innocently. 'So everyone can see those nasty skid marks? Ew!' Lori replied as she happened to overhear the question.

'Guess you can say Linky wants things to be long and drawn out!' Luan laughed at her own joke, and for once, a few of the girls laughed with her. Lincoln, to this day, never understood the context of it; aside from it having to do with his undies.

'Wait...I thought comic book guys were supposed to have a lot of muscle. Or is it just the costume?' Leni spoke in wonder. 'Pff, what muscle? You can practically see the bones in his arms.' Lynn replied in response to that.

'Hopefully you will be wise in the future and pick a more ideal suit for your age.' Lisa stated in her usual condescending tone.

'I don't know how you're supposed to hide your identity with that thing. Your hair makes it obvious that it's you.' Lola spoke in a snarky tone.

Those were just some of the remarks his sisters told him the day after the convention. Lincoln didn't wear the costume since the convention outing was cancelled on his end, but the jokes and teasing kept coming like a flood that remains after it pours. If the insults weren't about how ridiculous the costume was, the girls picked at how scrawny Lincoln appeared compared to the hero he was cosplaying. Not that Lincoln cared much about his strength, seeing as he could physically separate the twins without too much trouble, but the constant ribbing felt like several drills were slowly digging into his pride. Those drills dug deeper upon receiving a few jabs that hit a little too close to home, such as attacking his hobbies and other interests. Lori did say they'd make fun of him for the rest of his life after all...

As the week went on, Lincoln's self esteem dropped considerably, and he started experiencing bouts of depression going into the 6th day. The girls must've caught onto this, as the very next day they had dropped the teasing entirely. Lincoln did remember their apology, as they thought he could handle their jabs, but the damage was already done. Lincoln doubted he'd ever wear that costume again, thinking others might mock him for the same reasons, and it also brought up concerns that he might have lost his masculinity due to hanging around his sisters too much.

Let's just say that camping trip he had with Clyde wasn't as fun as it should've been.

Ronnie Anne watched as Lincoln stared into space, raising a brow in confusion before noticing how glassy his eyes were becoming. _"He's doing it again..."_ The tomboy sighed inwardly. Thankfully, she knew how to get his mind off whatever depressing thoughts were stuck in his head.

"Hey." She whispered, poking his nose slightly. "So, what kind of powers did you give me?" Upon seeing Lincoln come back into focus, the girl's lips curled up in a sincere smile.

Lincoln blinked once, letting a stray tear hang on the corner of his eye before prompting wiping it off. "Nothing too complicated, but I'm sure you'll like it." He smiled back.

* * *

Lori lazily scrolled through her phone's internet browser, not giving a crap about whatever government topic her teacher droned on about. She wished it wasn't a requirement to graduate, but her Social Political class was easily the worst subject in the history of learning. At least in an actual History class there was a lot more to it than spouting whatever ideal practices the left or right wing of government thought was best to run the country. Law this, law that, go jump off a cliff with that politics crap, I just want to live my life as I see fit. And in moments like this, Lori could care less about how the rest of the U.S. is doing; the happenings of Royal Woods was her only focus, and more importantly, the utter train wreck her family was in.

Aside from trying to ease her boredom, Lori constantly checked her texts to see if Lynn gave any updates to what happened. A pointless endeavor since her phone would automatically beep whenever a new message dropped, but a couple glances at the time meant Lynn should've talked with Lincoln by now. Each minute that passed filled Lori with a sense of dread, thinking the plan either backfired and made Lincoln crawl back into hiding, or Lynn got hit in the face with a tray again. Probably both, because if it _did_ work, Lynn would've said something by now.

Right at that moment, Lori's phone buzzed with a message bubble appearing at the top left corner. Swiping her thumb down, the blonde was disappointed to see it wasn't her sister, but an unknown number.

 _Are you doing ok? -_ Unknown

Lori knitted her brows before quickly typing back.

 _Who is this and how'd you get my number? -_ Lori

 _Oh, darn it. Look behind you. -_ Unknown

Lori subtly turned her head around, seeing nothing but seniors as bored as she was. She was about to face ahead and promptly block the number before Lori spotted movement near the back of the row next to her. A small hand was waving at her, to which Lori followed until she was met with a familiar face staring back at her. The blonde hair made Lori think it might've been Whitney, but Whitney's hair was always curly. This girl seemed to have a mix of both. Eyeing the purple blouse, it didn't take Lori much to figure out who it was.

Glancing back to her phone, the Loud thumbed out her response.

 _What do you want Carol?...-_ Lori

 _Just wanted to see if you're doing ok. I mean...I know hardly anyone talks to you these days, so I wanted to be the first. -_ Carol

There had to be more to it, cause the two blondes barely looked at each other even before this whole shitstorm with her family started. Part of it was out of jealousy on Lori's part due to their (largely) one-sided rivalry, and for Carol, she was too busy with her own affairs to care. Although Carol did avoid Lori once the rumors spread about what she did to one of her younger siblings, it wasn't out of hate; she was more concerned about her own safety given the known fact Lori wasn't fond of her.

 _I'm_ VERY _certain that you know the reason why no one even bothers looking at me... -_ Lori

 _Yeah...but it's been like, a little over 4 weeks? And you're still upset._ \- Carol/

 _Why would you care? Don't you have some SG meeting to worry about? -_ Lori

There was a pause between texts as Carol got a message from her boyfriend. She knitted her brows a little as, while she loved the guy, now wasn't the time to be planning their next date.

 _You do know that one of my responsibilities as class president is to make sure everyone in our grade is doing well, right? -_ Carol

Lori huffed after reading that message.

 _So why do you care_ now? _You didn't seem to think much of it before when I've had my boyfriend break up with me, most of my friends not talking to me, everyone else thinking I'm some kind of monster, or even having someone_ _DEFACE MY_ _LOCKER...-_ Lori

Carol frowned as a wave of guilt washed over her. She knew very well that she could've did something to stop all the hate aimed towards the Loud, but she just sat back and watched. She'd never say it was save her own appearance, though Carol supposed Lori was taking it that way given the circumstances. She was about to give her own reply when Lori sent another message.

 _But, I get it. I deserved it, because me and my sisters put our bro in the hospital over something that was really stupid in the first place. Even now, he's still healing from what we did to him that day... -_ Lori

 _Lori, whatever you did you your brother can't be_ that _bad. He's not still in there, is he? -_ Carol

 _No. He's been out for nearly 2 weeks. -_ Lori

 _Ok, and look...I know I could've did something before, and I didn't. I know you and me aren't exactly 'friendly' in the most sensical term, and I started to believe what others were saying about what you did when you didn't try to stop anyone. -_ Carol

"At least she's aware of that." Lori muttered to herself.

 _But the reason I didn't do anything wasn't because I didn't like you. I thought being near you would push you over the edge and you'd do something to get suspended. -_ Carol

 _Carol...I literally doubt I'd punch you unless gave me a legit reason to. -_ Lori

 _Like being within 10 feet of you on a bad day? Which was like, the last few weeks? -_ Carol

Ok, maybe Lori would've at least yelled at her or point at how Carol showed up 'just to gloat'; not that she needed to know that. Giving a sigh, Lori thumbed the keys on her phone.

 _It's already bad enough that my brother is afraid of me, sort of. We haven't spoken to each other in weeks, but he sent me a text a few days ago asking how I was doing. I feel like he doesn't love me anymore, and I wouldn't be surprised if that was true. It doesn't help I don't even have anyone else to talk to about it. My sisters are in the same boat, so it wouldn't help me in any case. I did see a therapist last week about my own personal issues, but-_ Lori paused, biting her lower lip as she continued thinking about how far she's fallen in her school and social life.

 _I just really need a shoulder to lean on. :( I miss Bobby...I miss all of my friends :'( :'(...I miss my brother most of all :'( :'( :'(...I just wish things could go back to the way they used to :'( :'( :'( :'(…_

Even though it was just a line of text mixed with emoticons, Carol almost wanted to cry as she felt the pain in each sentence Lori typed. The bell rang, finally shutting up the teacher and freeing the students for whatever class they had next. Carol slammed her book shut and got out of her seat, and would've made it out the door had she not noticed Lori slouched in her seat staring at the floor with her eyes noticeably pink. The Loud girl gave a light sniffle as she was lost in her thoughts, then visibly flinched when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Turning to her left, she looked to see Carol with an empathic frown. "If you really need someone to lean on, I'm here for you..."

Lori gave a low nod. "T-Thank you..." Her voice was a broken whisper, after which Carol helped her out of her seat before the two blondes left the room. Just after passing the doorframe, Lori's phone buzzed again. Raising a brow, she looked over at Carol. "That's not from you, is it?"

Carol shook her head, looking just as perplexed. Digging her phone out, Lori's heart skipped a beat when she saw the text came from Lynn that was sent to nearly all of her sisters. The tapped the message app on her phone, and found her sporty sister left one, hopeful message:

 _He let me sit with him. He actually let me be near him._

* * *

To say that the girls were anxious to get home was an understatement. Those who were middle school aged and lower ran all the way home from their academic prison whilst the high schoolers were forced to wait until the bus got to their stop. The teens all but threw open the doors as they bolted out, and Lisa arrived no later than the rest of them after excusing herself early and calling a cab. Lynn was already drilled for questions by 4 of her sisters on the way home, and knowing her 3 oldest sisters were likely to do the same, immediately told them to 'shut up, park it, and wait' because she be damned if she had to repeat the same story 3 times.

Thankfully, the eagerness of Lynn's sisters paid off so they didn't have to wait long. Only Lily was absent as she was still in daycare. Gathered in the living room, Lynn went on to tell them about her own doubts of the plan, and how she was going to approach Lincoln in the lunch room.

"So, after finally getting over _that_ , I grab a sub and march over to their table. Of course, Lincoln's friends didn't want me to sit with them, but I wasn't going to let this chance slip. I kept an eye on bro to see how he was taking it, and he looked ready to bolt the second he smelled trouble."

"He didn't get up and run, did he?" Lana asked uneasily.

"No. Like I said, he was _thinking_ of doing it. Now, here comes the weird part. While me and the dorks were arguing back and forth, out of nowhere...Lincoln tells them I can sit..." The jock's voice went nearly quiet at the end of that statement.

The other girls' eyes widened. "Are you positive he granted you permission?" Lisa asked.

Lynn knitted her brows together as eyes filled with disdain directed themselves at the genius. "Does it _look_ like I'm making this stuff up?!"

Lisa simply brushed off the gaze as she readjusted her glasses. "I'm just surprised our brother actually allowed you to sit near him, especially since he was without a doubt reminded that you're the one who broke his arm."

Lynn squinted her eyes at the 4 year old before dispelling a sigh through her nostrils. "I don't like having to be reminded..." She muttered mostly to herself despite everyone else hearing it.

"Don't stop there! What else happened?!" Lola demanded.

"I spent much of the time chatting it up with the nerds, while Lincoln just kept quiet. I caught him staring at me a few times when he was trying to hide it." Lynn gave a short pause to collect her thoughts. "It was like he was thinking I'd do something to him, but I don't know what. I know he did clock me with his food tray once, but it's not like I'd be mad at him. I also noticed Lincoln looked way better than he used to."

"How so?" Lori asked.

"Well, he didn't look like me after a work out: all sweaty, messy, and tired." Lynn shrugged. "He looked like his old self, but at the same time, you can kinda tell he's still on edge."

The other siblings sat in silence, reflecting on this new information. "Is there more to it?" Lucy asked.

Lynn hummed. "Nngh...not really. Me and Link ended up staring at each other for maybe half a minute before I decided to leave." The 13 year old began walking over to the dining room. "I don't know how he felt after that, cause I didn't see him at all since." She called out before disappearing around the corner, the sound of the fridge opening being heard seconds later.

"...So it appears my theory worked after all." Lisa spoke, her tone not at all carrying its usual amount of certainty.

"Why ya talkin' like that sis? Thought you'd be happy it _did_ work." Luna quipped.

"I-I am, it's just...surprising is all..." Lisa replied, folding her arms. "I was fairly certain this wouldn't work and we'd have to start from phase one all over again..."

"But, we probably won't have to. So what do we do now?" Luan asked, at which point all of the girls looked to Lisa.

Normally, the little genius would have liked the attention she got for having a sound idea at hand, but seeing her rapidly locking eyes with multiple sisters made it clear she didn't have one.

"Given how delicate this situation is, I'd say we wait a day or two before having someone else approach Lincoln. Naturally," Lisa locked her gaze onto Luan. "This will fall to you as you've also had some extended contact with our brother. However, it will also be difficult given your vastly varied schedules, so I'll need time to plan this all out."

"Does this mean Lincoln is becoming less scared of us?" Leni asked.

"Maybe." Lynn replied as she came back with a soda can in hand. "If Link didn't flinch with me sitting there, he's gotta be getting better." Pausing to take a sip, "But I wouldn't push my luck with being stuck in the same room with him, alone. I'm pretty sure I would've caught _another_ tray to the face if he was by himself..."

Lucy gave a downcast look, giving a small huff through her nose. "That'll probably be _months_ before that happens..."

"But he's still taking those therapy sessions, right?" Lola added. "Can't Mrs. Lopez fix him faster?"

"It's not that easy Lola. You don't just go to therapy and suddenly come out all sunshine and rainbows. Stuff like this can literally take weeks or longer." Lori explained.

"Guess it's another wait n see thing, huh?" Luna spoke with a sullen voice. She kicked her feet over the couch arm and stood up. "Anyone needs me, I'll be out in the garage."

Slowly but surely, the sisters began to disperse to do their own things, whether it be homework or to try and distract themselves from the current situation. In particular, Lana noticed Lola was wearing her overalls again and wanted answers as to why. As Lisa jumped off the arm of the couch, "Hey Lisa," The little girl turned to her older sister. "You got a moment?"

"Is it something you wish to discuss personally or openly?"

Lynn's finger tapped the can as she formulated her response. "I'd say keep it between us."

Lisa motioned for Lynn to follow her as they went up the stairs. Upon reaching her and Lily's room, Lisa immediately shut the door. "What is it that you want to talk about?"

"Have you..." Lynn stared into Lisa's eyes for a moment, noting the lack of bags behind the lens. "Have you noticed that Lincoln had bags around his eyes when none of us do?"

"For scientific purposes, yes." Lisa went over to her filing cabinet, pulling open the lowest drawer. Her fingers shifted along the tops of several files before stopping at one. Upon pulling it out, Lynn could see the file had a picture of Lincoln paperclipped to the front.

 _"Should I even be surprised she keeps a folder on_ everyone _?"_ Lynn sighed inwardly.

"This was a study I had done during a time I had a considerable lack of interest in mixing the various substances I normally experiment with." Lisa pulled out a full-faced picture of their brother. "As you can see, these blepharochalasis (street name: eye bags) are most prevalent around the sides of his eyes, and occasionally seen on the lower eyelids. After looking through and studying our sibling in real time, I have noted that none of our sisters (including ourselves) possess this constant fault in the skin."

Lynn rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that's great. But do you know _why_ he always has them? Even before now it wasn't like he wasn't getting enough sleep."

Lisa shook her head. "Unfortunately," She put the picture back in the folder. "I do not. It could be a number of factors ranging from lack of sleep (like I also originally thought), stress, obesity, allergies, age, or fluid retention caused by hormones or salty foods. Our parents have prevalent blepharochalasis due to their age as well as the stress of handling all 11 of us. It's rather surprising none of us have what would appear to be a permanent case for Lincoln, especially when one takes into account Lori approaching graduation, your sports, and my countless nights of studying or working on experiments as examples. The only time I have noticed any of us having eye bags is due to waking up at a period when our bodies are still too exhausted for normal, every day function."

Lynn pursed her lips. "Lincoln does eat those peanut butter and," She cringed a little, "...sauerkraut sandwiches a lot. Think that may have something to do with it?"

Lisa nodded. "Sauerkraut, hence the name, has a sour taste due to lactic acid bacteria fermenting the sugar cells in the cabbage; to some, it can even taste salty. However, I don't believe Lincoln's eating habits alone are the reason behind his eye bags; rather, it just made them more prominent."

"So you're saying something else caused them?"

"Correct. I had asked mother when Lincoln began eating those unsavory sandwiches he makes, to which she confirmed was when Lincoln was 9." Lisa opened the folder. "Not only that, but judging from these photos of our infantile brother, this was not a condition he was born with." She pulled out a few photos and handed them to Lynn.

The older girl looked at each one, showing a baby Lincoln looking as happy and innocent as he could be. One picture showed a time when he was taking a bath with Lynn, who was only 3 at the time. The jock managed a smile at that fond memory, and the next few photos showed a happy Lincoln doing other activities like learning to ride a bike, a lucky snapshot during Easter when he tried to eat a chocolate egg before taking the foil off, and an early Halloween picture.

In each photo, Lynn didn't see any bags around the young boy's eyes. "So when do you think it started?"

Lisa pulled out another photo, showing another young Lincoln massaging his fingers as Rita kissed a nasty mark that was on his forehead. Lynn remembered that day clearly: their family went to a bowling alley for an outing, and Lincoln grabbed a ball that was too small for his fingers. He didn't care and just jammed them in, only to learn the hard way why you should use a ball with the correct finger size. Poor boy ended up flinging himself down the alley and into the pins. Silver lining? He got a strike.

Lynn noticed a faint line appearing on both sides of his eyes. "This was when he was six..."

"Exactly. And they've stuck since." Lisa pulled out two more pictures. "His seventh birthday party shows they continued to develop just as he did, so it stands to reason Lincoln developed these around the time he became six as," She showed this photo from Dairy Land was taken when he was five. There is no evidence of eye bags on his face during this time, nor on any photos prior."

Lynn squinted her eyes as she shifted between all the pictures. "You mentioned it could be due to fat, right?"

Lisa nodded.

"Do you think that might be why? Link still has baby fat on his face, and I started losing mine rather early." Lynn brushed her cheek, feeling the subtle amount of fat just above her jawline.

"It may be a good reason, but I personally do not see it that way. If Lincoln's facial adipose tissue were the cause, his eye bags would have begun to fade out at this point in time. I've noticed that Lincoln has begun to lose the baby fat on his face due to approaching puberty, and fluid retention would be unlikely as he has yet to fully begin the physical transition to adulthood and this condition was present before now. It's possible his eating habits have made the change less noticeable, but I've studied everyone's diets to conclude he's not in danger of becoming rotund. He also has no known allergies, so that's an obvious negative. Instead, I believe those bags were caused by a stress factor no one was made aware of." Lisa set the folder on top of the others. "And I believe we both know what that anomaly is given our current situation..."

Looking back at the six year old Lincoln picture, "Not counting Lincoln, Lucy was already born, and the twins were barely a year old..." Lynn counted on her fingers for a moment. "Counting us two, Link only had 8 sisters. I mean, that's pretty big, but not as much as 10. If anything, Lori would have it worse since she has to look over all of us."

"That is true my athletic sibling," Lisa took the pictures from Lynn and placed them back in the folder. "But, it would seem Lincoln had began to suffer the stress of having to look after 3 other siblings at an early age; a number that increased following my introduction into life itself, followed by Lily. As we all know, the twins can be a handful, and it wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility that Lincoln had to worry about wondering wherever Lucy may be hiding when he is supposed to be watching her."

"That doesn't sound any different from the rest of us having to look over you guys." Lynn folded her arms. "Sometimes I've had to chase Lincoln down so he could put his diapers on."

Lisa gave a curt nod. "Noted, but answer this: if Lincoln's blepharochalasis began when he was six years old, what else has he been doing besides looking after his younger siblings?" She put the file back in its slot and closed the drawer.

Lynn pointed a digit into the air. "He," She paused, starting to realize what Lisa really meant. "He's been...helping us out, right?"

"Yes. Whether it would be my experiments, your sport activities, Leni's clothing designs, and sometimes Luna's extremely loud and deafening music playing, Lincoln would usually be there to lend us his aid; sometimes without his consent." Lisa slid the folder back into the cabinet before shutting the drawer. "He's also taken his role as a brother much more seriously than ever, seeing as he makes sure even his oldest siblings are in a sound state of mind. It should also go without saying there have been numerous times we've needed his help when it conflicted with Lincoln aiding another sister, usually resulting in physical altercation over who should receive his aid first."

"Geez...doesn't sound like Lincoln gets much time for himself..." Lynn muttered. "Wait, what about the times he's always lying around reading comics in his undies?"

"A usual pastime for him, I'm sure." The young genius hopped into her chair. "But given the rate at which all of us perform our daily activities (mundane or otherwise varying), there's still a 78% chance of our brother being interrupted from his own hobbies to be pulled aside to help with ours."

"Sooooo….got any answers as to _why_ we've needed Link's help when we could just ask each other?"

Lisa managed a sarcastic chuckle. "Would you even bother helping me with my chemical experiments? And would I help you with a task I'm not physically capable of doing?"

Lynn opened her mouth to reply, most likely to give a big statement on how she'd totally help Lisa with what she needed. But now that she thought about it, science bored her to death. It wasn't like math (even though the two were heavily intermingled depending on the subject), and there was the fact Lisa's constant random experiments were both creepy and occasionally produced some kind of horrid creature like that trash monster. Despite Lisa revealing some experiments like her poop studies being meant to monitor everyone's health, it didn't explain creating a monster out of trash. Not to mention Lynn didn't want to risk losing something important from the constant explosions, or _gaining_ something weird like a third ear.

"...No..."

"My thoughts exactly. Sad as it is, none of us are too interested in each other's hobbies to be of any help." Lisa turned the seat towards the desk, reaching for a book. "But fear not, Lincoln's eye bags won't cause any long term health problems in spite of being permanent."

'Yeah...thanks for the info..." Lynn spoke in a quiet voice. _"Almost wish I didn't ask...always figured we would've had something to do with it. As if beating down Lincoln wasn't bad enough, let's try overworking him a while_ before _this crap shack happens."_ The sporty Loud mentally chided herself. _"Wish we could just forget this all happened, like a reset button or...wait a sec!"_ Lynn's eyes widened as an idea came to her. "Hey Lis."

"Yes?" The 4 year old replied, head already buried in her textbook.

"Have you ever thought about making a time machine or something, like weeks before when we found out Lincoln is completely scared of us?"

Lisa gave a heavy sigh. "Truth to be told..." She wheeled around to face Lynn. "I had half a mind to build one immediately after that heinous altercation. Unfortunately..." The 4 year old paused, resting her head in her hand. "My mind was too clouded with the realization of nearly castrating my own sibling to think clearly...but the idea had come to me quite a few times."

"So, do you think you'd be able to make one?"

"No...one reason being that I would need my equipment (which is gone) in order to make and perfect a device suitable for such a venture, and the other reason being that I do not have a wish to do so."

"Don't have a..." Lynn furrowed her brows. "What do you mean you don't want to?! Do you even _like_ lying awake at night wondering when Lincoln will stop seeing you as a crazy mad scientist?!"

Lisa glared at the jock. "Of course I don't! But unlike you, I'm well aware that there are certain rules that must be followed when it comes to traveling through time. Not only that, it is _extremely_ dangerous that not even I would be willing to use it for a mundane task."

Lynn snorted hotly. "Please. Knowing you, I'd bet you'd use to save your reputation, or whatever is left of it at this point. And what kind of _rules_ are you talking about?"

Lisa's eyes twitched at that remark, biting her tongue to keep from lashing out at her uninformed sibling. Dispelling steam through her nose, "Are you aware of something called 'The Butterfly Effect'?"

"No? And what does it have to do with bugs?"

The 4 year old slapped a hand to her forehead. "It's a metaphor...and it's in reference to the chaos theory, in which a minute localized change in a complex system can have large effects elsewhere. In other words, you step on a butterfly in the past, you could potentially wipe out a whole species."

Lynn had a confused look on her face. "Ooookay?"

"...To put it in better terms, say if I did go back in time and stop Lincoln from turning our sights onto him. There's no telling what would happen. It could either be something good such as us getting into another fight and eventually calming down, but the flawed system we had stays in place and causes mishaps further down the road. Or...more likely...Lincoln doesn't believe me and does what he did all those weeks ago, and we end up hurting him worse than he already is..." Lisa cringed upon saying that. "There's just too many uncertainties with time travel that it could ultimately backfire, such as another of our siblings being put in Lincoln's position, all of us injuring each other to the point we'd require hospitalization due to being overly aggressive, my time machine malfunctioning and sending me too far back into the past or future..." Lisa looked at Lynn and could tell she was beginning to lose interest. "Point is, there's no telling whether it would actually work without coming back to bite us. Not to mention the very real risk of causing a time paradox that could erase all life as we know it."

Lynn put her hands up defensively. "Ok ok, I get it. Time travel is bad...but what about helping Link forget any of this ever happened. Sure, his arm will still be healing, but I'm sure we could play it off as an unrelated injury, right?"

"That was another theory I had considered once I deduced time travel wouldn't be feasible. However, that'd require me to 'erase' everyone's memories of the incident, including our own, our friends, acquaintances, and anyone who would have knowledge of the incident; a big task on its own that would require tracing every single person whom it was remotely mentioned to. And by erase, I mean the memories would only be temporarily suppressed, like being put in the back of one's mind so to speak. In other words, even if I did suppress Lincoln's memories of what happened, he'd likely see the memories as nightmares and become cautious around us as a result. In the same vein, we would experience something similar until the point the 'dreams' are considered actual memories and Lincoln may grow to resent us for lying to him the entire time..."

Lynn developed a somber expression as she stared at the floor. "...I'm going to guess you might say something like deleting who Lincoln is as a person too?"

"Also a possibility, should the process of suppressing his memories be too strong. That would be a headache of its own trying to remind him who he once was, and it'd be even worse if his mind was reset to that of a toddler. Regardless of the outcome, Lincoln would never be the same boy as we once knew him." Lisa gave a frown. "Much like he is now..."

The jock nodded slowly. "So...this is the only way huh? No shortcuts?..."

"Afraid so. But, at least we are aware that Lincoln is slowly dispelling his fear."

"Yeah..." Lynn turned to the door, pulling it open. "Hope it doesn't last too long..."

* * *

"So what are you confused about Lincoln?" Miranda asked, the phone tucked into the crook of her neck as she filed her nails.

"I had another dream about me being Ace Savvy the other night, and this time I was making a plan with my friends to confront my sisters. But...I'm not ready to actually speak to them yet..." Lincoln replied, pacing around the guest room as he held the phone in his hand. "In a way, I sort of wish I was..."

"So, does that mean you're feeling envious of what you are in your dreams?"

Lincoln stopped mid-step. "Yes...it's like I'm seeing two different adventures going on, but I wish I was on the side where I _am_ capable of standing up to my sisters. But then I'm reminded of what they could do to me if I try to..."

"Well Lincoln, while dreams can vary, they can also be mirrors that let you peek at what is to come." The doctor blew at her nails to get rid of the accumulated dust.

 _"Wait, so you're saying I'll actually_ become _Ace Savvy?"_

Miranda had to stifle a laugh. "No. What I'm saying is, the fact you are seeing yourself finding the courage to stand up to your siblings in your dreams can be a sign that you will find that same courage while you are awake."

"Well...I do feel safer when I have my friends around..." Lincoln's thoughts drifted to lunch. "A-And I didn't freak out too much when I saw one of my sisters today..."The

The doctor raised a brow. "You did?"

"Yes." Lincoln sat down on the bed. "Lynn walked up to our table. I saw her approaching long before then, but it was like she _wanted_ me to see her. Not only that, she wasn't dressed in her usual sports stuff. Knowing her, she wouldn't put a hoodie on even when it starts getting cold out, not to mention her hair was down..."

 _"Uh huh. Now, given what we've discussed last time, did you feel the need to try and_ _run? Or did you feel that she was planning something?"_

"I did...but at the same time, I didn't know what to think. At first, I thought she wanted to get back at me for what happened in the hospital, but she didn't sound like her usual self."

 _"What kind of tone does Lynn normally use?"_

"Something that let's people know she's number 1. But, if I had to be honest...the way she talked sounded about as caring as Leni and, well, more of her age like Lori."

 _"Hmm...seems Lynn was doing her best to act more like a kind person so she wouldn't scare him."_ Miranda noted to herself. "Did she do any of the things you thought she'd do?"

 _"...She didn't. She was just asking to sit with us, but my friends kept saying no. I felt like I should just get out of there the moment she does get angry, but I know she'd catch me easily..."_ There was a short pause on the line, though Miranda heard Lincoln take an unsettled breath. _"I...I couldn't make it to my room the last time I made her mad..."_

"So how did you handle the situation?"

 _"I thought about what you told me last week, and I thought she'd eventually get mad, so...I let her sit with us. She sat on the other side of the table, but I'm not sure if it was out of choice or because Liam moved his stuff..."_

"Did she do anything that made you uncomfortable?"

 _"Well, I was nervous about her sitting near me, but she never once tried to talk to me. She just talked with my friends, then...she started staring at my cast for a minute before leaving."_

Miranda hummed in thought. "Wasn't Lynn the one who broke your arm?"

 _" I think so...she mentioned it before at the hospital. And before she left, she said she hoped I could forgive her. The weird thing is, I kind of wanted to, but at the same time I didn't. When I kept thinking the way her hair was, I remember that Luan had hers the same way, and the only other time I remember her hair being down was when she was really sad about being in the 'Friend Zone'. I still don't see what's wrong with it since I have plenty of friends. But...I started to think Lynn might've been sad, and I think it had something to do with me."_

"As much as I want to tell him the reason, it's better if he figures it out on his own..." The doctor muttered to herself. "And even if I did tell him, Lincoln may not take it as a definitive answer." Miranda's eyes brightened a bit as an idea came to her. "But, that doesn't mean I can't steer him in the right direction." Taking her hand off the receiver, "Say Lincoln, you said you felt safer when you are around friends correct?"

 _"Yes?"_

"Do you think you'd be able to find the courage that you seek from your dreams if you were to interact with one of your sisters? You said it yourself that you didn't panic too much when you have Lynn sitting near you."

Lincoln's eyes widened at that prospect. Lynn sitting with him may have been an unlucky set of circumstances, but to actually seek out his sisters? In his perspective, Lincoln felt like that was watching a lion from a distance. Nice to look at when you give them space, but get too close and they _will_ make you their lunch. In the case of his sisters, all he had to do was step into the den itself in order to find them, and in his current state, they could make him wish he had regretted ever doing so. However, maybe...maybe he wouldn't have much to worry about with his friends around. Maybe the numerical advantage would dissuade them from trying anything. After all, Lynn didn't seem willing to do much at lunch today, and he could only imagine how things would go if they were alone...

Scratch that. It was something he _didn't_ want to think about after considering the numerous events playing in his dreams.

 _"You still there Lincoln?"_

The boy flinched a little. "Yes...I...I don't...I mean, I guess? But..." He stammered out.

 _"Don't worry, there's no need to rush into things."_ Miranda calmly told him. _"This_ _is entirely up to you; however, I can also arrange a meeting between you and a sibling if you wish to do things that way."_

Lincoln stayed silent for a moment. He supposed a meeting in Mrs. Lopez's office would help; he may not trust the word of his sisters, or at least fully understand if their feelings are the real deal as opposed to what he currently believes, but he did trust the doctor. Plus, she was giving him free reign to pick which sibling he wanted to meet with. That in itself was something Lincoln would have to give a large amount of consideration; hard to pick a meeting with 9 separate people he'd rather stay at building's length...or maybe at least 30 feet from after lunch. Regardless, just like in his dreams, Lincoln had a feeling he couldn't avoid his sisters forever. It was still amazing to him how he'd seen little of them throughout the weeks, and only today did he actually meet one face to face.

This was the tug of war Lincoln was dealing with now; one side preferred to keep hiding while the other wanted to find some answers, and he was stuck in the middle like two people being backseat drivers to the person up front. However, the camp that wanted to seek out the truth was gaining more ground. Hiding all the time waiting for something that may or may not happen seemed like a good idea (still is in some regard), but the girls were doing things Lincoln wasn't expecting at all, and that made him more confused than anxious. Heck, he only texted Lori once and nothing else came out of it. And if Lincoln did chicken out at trying to find a sibling, instant messaging was still an option.

"...I'll...I'll try to find one in school. If I can't, then we can do the other idea." The boy reluctantly replied.

 _"Ok. Just let me know and I'll arrange another appointment."_

"Thanks." The Loud hung up, lying back on the bed. "Well, that didn't help much...I just hope I know what I'm doing..." Looking over at his stack of comics on the nightstand, Lincoln rolled over and grabbed an issue off the top. Judging by the cover, he knew it was the same one he got last week; he could honestly care less right now, needing something to occupy himself. As uncertain as he was about where his dreams would take him, the Loud had a small amount of hope that things would turn out alright. Maybe he should try to be more optimistic instead of wallowing in his own pity for once.

 **A/N: So, this chapter was more or less filler to look at the aftermath of that planned meeting. Now the roles have switched in which Lincoln will be the one to find a sister to speak with. Not alone, but at least establishing some form of contact would be enough to sate his curiosity. Hopefully no one got too bored with reading Lincoln picturing a match up in his head, as well as Lisa's explanations why she can't just magically wish their problems away.**

 **Now, the latter came up due to a few people asking about since it specifically came up in a poorly written alt ending someone made for this story. Along with Lisa's explanation, the main reason I didn't go that route is because (and I'll make this perfectly clear) _NO ONE LIKES COP OUTS_. Do you honestly think I'd erase all this time and effort, and piss off everyone who likes this story, just to make it shorter? There are many fics in this fandom that often use one as the author likely wrote themselves into a corner and decided to use a reset button, and most of the time it makes writing a long fic effectively pointless. It's very easy to ruin a good fic if you decide to do an ass pull and make all prior events null and void. Also keep in mind that by the time the fic had gotten this far, Mad Scientist hasn't aired until a few months ago, so the whole time travel idea was trashed long before then.**

 **Also, I had this idea that L is for Love didn't go well for some of the siblings, as shown with Luan being friend-zoned. Plus, since many of the love interests are just one-off characters we'll never see again, it stands to reason some didn't return the feelings of the siblings. Not only that, I also figured that since Lincoln was grounded after Sleuth or Consequences, it'd be a good idea to look at what happened a bit after that episode. Knowing the girls, I doubt they'd pass up on the opportunity to make a few jabs at Lincoln for his choice of costume; and for the rest of Season 1, I noticed he hadn't worn it again until Tricked (maybe). Honestly, I know at some point Lucy's going to correct Lincoln on his memories, but it'll only be in passing. Too many stories bring it up these days even when it wouldn't even have remote importance, and I'm sort of regretting mentioning that particular altered memory.**


	32. Heroic Warfare

**A/N: Although Lincoln is starting to realize that he has a talent like his siblings, he still needs to face one major crossroad that may determine whether or not he'll eventually see things for what they are and not be blinded by his fear. He already got a glimpse of it after seeing Lynn for the first time in weeks, and while they are unaware of it, the girls did succeed in drawing Lincoln's attention. One can only imagine what their state will be in if he tries to seek them out. However, that will only happen if Lincoln manages to summon the courage to interact with them.**

 **But first, a long awaited battle is due to take place. For the next several minutes, you may feel like you're reading an entirely different story altogether. But at the end of the day, it is just the vivid picture of a boy who wishes to find a way to solve his problems. You can also count this as a special for Syn's second anniversary since that's coming up in two weeks.**

 **WARNING: The following may depict scenes too graphic for young children.**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

A pair of steeled, yet wary eyes peered through a pair of high tech binoculars, scanning the streets and alleys amongst the buildings for any sign of hostiles. Ace lied prone on the roof, just barely poking over the its edge to give him a direct view of the street below. The last thing Lincoln remembered before he went to sleep that night was reading an old Ace Savvy issue. While he grew aware of how much his dreams were different from the real thing, it still felt as if he was living a different life parallel to his own. As uncomfortable as it was, he eventually decided it was better to just roll with it then waste time questioning it.

To most citizens, the pitch blackness of the streets having the lamp posts as the only source of illumination (along with the eerie quietness) would make them extremely cautious at the possibility of getting robbed, kidnapped, murdered...or having a nice little beatdown after having too many drinks. Ace Savvy was used to all of these, knowing few criminals would risk doing anything in broad daylight as it'd make them easy targets. Plus, he had the displeasure of breaking up fights by subduing the brawlers. Many times had he taken these nights in stride, waiting for these violators of the law to show themselves so they can face justice.

But tonight was going to be anything _but_ ordinary...

Wild Card Willy had planned a heist for sure. It wasn't a bank robbery or jewelry job as he would typically do; One-Eyed Jack traced him to this lumber factory just outside of a residential area. What Willy would need with a bunch of wood was anyone's guess, but that wasn't what occupied Ace's focus right now. Instead, he was looking for any his former team, The Full House Gang. The boy knew his sisters enough that they would take any reported tips on potential crimes seriously, especially if it involved one of their archenemies. Without his guidance however, Ace couldn't help but wonder if they picked up the same lead Jack did; after all, the two of them were typically the guys who had to find out what their foes were up to the most since the girls were less likely to find out what was happening until a police report came in via radio. Then again, as Ace inwardly groaned, they had someone like Card Counter running management. Or co-management; he wasn't dire who took up the mantle after being outsed. She would have used her sensors or whatever high tech equipment to achieve the same effect, which was something Ace secretly frowned upon.

Not that the 4 year old's gadgets weren't useful, but it couldn't beat old-fashioned ingenuity and tracking in his opinion; especially if one were to find a way to jam her electronics.

Looking up from his binoculars, Ace peered across the rooftops, spotting Deuce and Mad Bomber not too far away from his left. To his right, he saw Wrangler, Mirage, and Jack on another, likely conversing with themselves given their movement. He split them into small teams to keep the element of surprise, which earned him a few suggestive teases given who Ace was paired with. While Ace knew he wasn't alone, he couldn't help but feel a little vulnerable at having everyone so spread out. While it was strategic, the 11 year old was very much aware it was a double-edged approach. Keeping out of site was one thing, but if someone from the Full House stumbled upon his or his friend's position, getting to them would take time and opened the possibility of their allies being baited into a trap.

A shiver ran up Ace's spine as he started to feel precarious about his own position, noting the distance he had between the other two groups. Hearing a set of footfalls behind him, the boy tensed his shoulders as he whipped his head around. He gave a light sigh of relief upon seeing Ace-sassin climbing onto the roof. "Did you see anything?"

"Sort of. I saw that old van you guys use a couple blocks away, but I don't know where they took off to." The sharpshooter replied before she knelt down next to him.

Ace huffed slightly, looking back through the optics. "At least we know they're here."

 _"This is sooooo BOOORING! Can we go yet?"_ Came the annoyed voice of a certain demolitionist on the radio.

 _"Shut up!"_ Deuce's voice followed in a sharp whisper. _"Card Counter might be monitoring all the frequencies!"_

 _"_ _Well if she was, she definitely would've heard us a while earlier."_ Mirage added, seemingly as bored as the shorter redhead. _"And speaking of which, why couldn't_ WE _get some scopes too?"_

Jack gave a nervous smile. "It was only meant for just me and Ace?" The eye-patched hero gave a frown in return for the one Mirage was giving him. "Don't look at me like that. It's not like we expected to have this many people in our hideout."

"Explains why the fridge was near empty." Wrangler chimed in, giving a small burp.

Ace-sassin put a hand to the receiver in her ear. "She's right though. We still don't know what those guys are capable of doing, so keep quiet."

 _"Yeah yeah-wait, hang on..."_ The line was silent as Mirage paused for some reason. With the trio, the trickster was squinting his eyes at what looked to be a silhouette on the roof of the main building. However, without any proper visual aids, he couldn't tell what it was. _"There's something on the roof, near the windows."_

Everyone else raised their brows in confusion. Ace brought up his binoculars and looked to the spot Mirage was talking about. Spotting 3 dark figures on near the window, there was something giving a bright glint right in front of a window. Zooming in, Ace flinched a little as he watched Queen of Diamonds working to cut a hole into the glass surface. Using a few shards like a buzz saw, it created a bright light that illuminated her form for seconds at a time. Royal Flush and Card Counter waited patiently with her; well, at least Card Counter was. Royal Flush was moving her mouth and gesturing towards her pipe wrench, no doubt wanting to just smash the window. However, Queen gave her twin a glare before saying something that Ace could only guess was about her finishing her work. Seconds later, the jewel lover popped a large piece of glass from the window and paused for a moment to gloat, wagging it in front of the plumber. Card Counter then muttered something to them both before going in, the twins exchanging mean looks at one another before following suit.

Putting a hand on the receiver, "That was Queen, Flush, and Counter. If I had to guess, they're planning on surrounding Willy's group before they start a fight."

Deuce tapped the tip of a rocket in her hand to ensure the warhead wasn't damaged, then turned it sideways as she gave it a casual inspection. "So what do we do now?"

"I'm somewhat thinkin' of blowing the whole place up." Mad Bomber chuckled. He quickly felt a sharp pain to the back of his head, promptly turning to glare at the 7 year old while rubbing the sore spot.

"We're _not_ doing that!"

"Oh come on! It'll be fun. Plus, splintered wood makes for a good defense."

 _"We can hear you both, you know."_ Jack's voice cut in.

"No one asked you Jack." Both kids said in unison.

Ace scanned between the buildings again as he weighed his options, hoping to spot any other members of the Full House sneaking around. One idea was to let the girls take on Willy and his crew before Ace's group moved in to deal with them. Wild Card Willy always had a lot of henchmen under his control, what with being usually easy going or whatever his standards were. While Ace didn't doubt the Full House's ability to handle themselves, he hoped that if this meeting _did_ lead to a brawl, their opponents would have less stamina to deal with someone up to their caliber. However, this may not make much of a difference as Willy's goons never were much of a challenge to begin with. Even someone like Deuce (without her launcher that is) could mop the floor with them and still have plenty of energy to chase down their boss.

Unfortunately, every time the gang managed to Willy behind bars, they learned why he called himself 'Wild Card'. At some point during his sentence, he'd escape custody one way or another. Sometimes it was a few hours, then a few days, a week or so at best, but never a month. And every time it came up on the news the guards had a different story as to how it happened. Ace didn't know whether the stories were true, or the guards were trying to save their own butts, but he started to think that no prison could hold that man. It even became a little game for Ace and Jack where they'd make bets on how long it'd take for the old man to bust out again. The rest of the Full House shared their frustrations about this, but Ace figured he could always catch him later, right?

And yet, it was that line of thinking that led up to this moment. The girls wanted a more permanent solution to the city's problems, and given how badly beaten Card Shark was, Ace didn't have any doubts that they intended to do the same to Willy.

The white-haired hero grimaced a bit as he was disgusted with the thought. It was often said that you can't be a good hero unless you have principles, and Lincoln had three:

1\. Never harm the innocent.

2\. He would never kill anyone.

3\. He refused to badly injure the elderly.

Card Shark was in his 20s, but Willy was old enough to be Lincoln's grandfather. It just felt too immoral to beat the old man's teeth in, which was why Ace opted to just catch him with hope that eventually someone would find a way to keep him contained; Willy doesn't put up much of a fight once you corner him anyways. It was also that second moral that left him at odds with Ace-sassin when they first crossed paths-

Ace jolted a bit when he felt a soft punch to the shoulder. "Come on Lame-O, it's still your call." Ace-sassin chided.

"S-Sorry..." The boy quickly replied. Ace narrowed his gaze before giving a heavy sigh. "I have one idea, but it may not be the best one."

"How so?"

"Cause I don't want to give the Full House more of a reason to paint me as a villain. But at the same time, I can't let them pounce on Willy like they did with Card Shark. Plus, I think they might kill him if we don't intervene."

"Not that it would be a bad thing..." Ace-sassin muttered. She smirked a bit at the scowl Savvy was giving her. "Oh come on, I'm joking. He's a bit too fun to have around and isn't _that_ much of a threat. Besides, I already know about your moral code, since you kept breathing it down my neck back then."

"I'm just not comfortable with it, you know? Especially after..." Ace paused, trailing off as he gave a solemn stare at the street below. "That day at the mall..."

Ace-sassin dropped her teasing attitude at the mention of that incident. She remembered that day clearly, as not only was it on the news for weeks, her mom was working double time treating those injured. It seems like every once a year or so, some nutjob decides he wants to shoot a bunch of people for the supposed 'wrongdoings' they were given during their lives. Lincoln still doesn't know how that equates to 'kill a bunch of innocents', but he didn't dare try to question the thought process of a madman as he knew he wouldn't ever understand them.

Officially, the event was referred to as The Black Friday Massacre. Many adults and children looking to get the best deals on what was offered suddenly found themselves fighting for their lives as a couple of former military guys with PTSD (after having lived a life full of hardships and trauma) came in with automatic weapons and started gunning down people left and right. Among the chaos was Rita, Lynn Sr., Lincoln, and Lily. The rest of the girls were either with their friends, busy, or had ordered stuff online to avoid the hustle at the mall, but Lincoln wanted to get some discount merchandise and Lily needed to be looked after since no one would be home.

The sole male Loud flashed back to the moment where his life changed forever. As they ran for cover, Rita took a bullet to the back and almost fell over on top of her infant daughter. Lynn quickly ushered their children to safety before trying to do the same for his wife. Unfortunately, he took a load of bullets to the chest for his trouble. Lincoln immediately screamed for his father whilst Lily cried in his arms, only to witness one of the killers walk up to his crying mother and promptly silence her with a bullet to the head. The kids would've met their end as well, if it hadn't been for the timely intervention of a SWAT team member shooting the killer in the back of his vest and forcing him to run. The Loud parents were just two out of the 98 people killed that day, which included 19 children.

"...I know my other sisters took it pretty hard when they found out, but they weren't in the middle of it..." Ace spoke in a whisper. Gazing up at the dark sky, "I wonder how my parents must feel, seeing their kids fighting like this, and not being able to tell us to knock it off..." He drew a heated breath as his eyes furrowed. "For a while after that day and after child protection failed to separate us, I was scared and uncertain about what would happen from then on out. I know SWAT killed one of the murderers, but the other...the one who killed them...was still out there."

"And then he got caught after 2 months, and was sentenced to life in prison. We both know that." Ace-sassin replied, taking a seat on the edge of the roof. "You also told me how you wished you could kill the guy while he was still in holding." She gazed at his prone form. "But you didn't want to in the end, did you?"

"No..." Ace blinked a stray tear away. "I decided it might be better to just let justice do its thing. Like you said, he was given a life sentence, which made me mad...but then I heard someone stabbed him in his head only a week into his sentence."

"Yeah, he had it coming anyway. Even then, you started doing your job as a hero a while before then. You were willing to kill him back then, but you never did say why you stopped thinking like that."

Ace looked directly into the girl's eyes. "It's because I realized I've seen enough bloodshed to last a lifetime, and I just can't stomach doing that to someone else. Why do you think we had a rocky start because you kept encouraging it?"

"And the reason why you're ok with it now," Ace-sassin upholstered one of her pistols within a second, twirling it by the trigger hole until it before stopping it when it pointed to the clouds. "Is because I _punish_ the guilty. There are loopholes to those morals you have you know; just cause you may not do the same thing doesn't mean others will."

Ace nodded slowly. "The Full House used to follow the same moral code I had, but they already broke two of them recently. I wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for Clyde and Lily," The boy gave a hardened glare at the main building, "And I'm not gonna let them break the last one..."

 _"You ok there partner? Been quiet for a couple a minutes."_ Wrangler called up.

"I'm fine..." Ace took a brief pause. "Now listen closely guys: my sisters have abilities that may either give you an advantage or make fighting them next to impossible. So, before we spring our trap, I'm gonna assign who gets to deal with who."

 _"You sure we can't just talk this out with them?"_ Jack questioned nervously.

Ace gave a heavy sigh. "If it was that easy, then we wouldn't be doing this...and I have a good feeling they'd do the same to me if I just showed up out of nowhere."

Ace-sassin pulled the barrel back, making sure there was a round chambered. "What a fun night this will be." She half-joked before putting the safety off.

* * *

Wild Card Willy held a grin underneath his facial mask as he watched his minions carefully disassemble important pieces of machinery before hauling them to the trucks parked near the back of the factory. Just beyond the double-wide steel door, several tracer trailers had their cargo holds open for transport; with the pace they were going, Willy hoped they could grab what they needed before the Full House showed up. They always had a bad habit of ruining his schemes, those darn kids...

But, the thought of his enemies wasn't what was drawing his ire; it was a pair of grunts clumsily floundering about with a particularly large saw machine.

"Careful with that merchandise boys! I want that new cabin to look like a mansion instead of some rundown motel when those contractors get their butts workin' on it!"

"Easy for you to say!" One of them spat in a pained retort. "This thing is heavy!"

The grunt's partner decided at that moment to shift his position a bit to ease the strain on his fingers. This immediately caused their hold to become unbalanced, forcing the two to run around the floor in an attempt to keep the heavy device steady. They nearly collided with a few other flunkies trying to move their own equipment before finally coming to a halt with one grunt all but smashed against a wall.

"What did I just say?!" Willy yelled out.

"Yeah yeah yeah..." The grunt pulled the device towards him to free his partner.

"Remember, I ain't payin' ya to git yourselves killed." The boss uttered in distaste.

"Maybe I should've just went back to college." One of the grunts near the main door muttered.

"Same here Mac." Another added.

Right as they were about to exit, the heavy door suddenly came down, slamming shut with a deafening sound.

"Hey, what's with the door?!"

"Wasn't me!" Shouted a grunt at the controls. He moved the lever, but for some reason it wouldn't budge. "Darn thing is stuck." He then tried other controls, only to have the panel short out. "Now the stupid thing is fried!"

Turning his attention towards the rear, "What did you idiots do now?!" Willy shouted.

"Hang on a sec." The grunt replied as he banged the console with a wrench. It started to flicker back to life, and which he pulled the lever down.

The door slowly creaked open as the grunts picked up their equipment. Once the door was fully open however, they were met with the a certain musician with her guitar and speakers at the ready. Behind her, several goons lied unconscious in various positions. "Congratulations. You dudes get a front row seat to the encore!"

Before the two could do drop their load, Night Club played an extremely loud riff that blasted them several yards into the facility.

"What in tarnation?..." Willy muttered as he watched the two lackeys fly into a conveyor belt. Looking back at the door, his face went from confusion to a dull look. "Oh great, it's one of you brats..." He turned to the others, "Don't just stand there, get her!"

The rest of the grunts took notice and immediately began to pull out guns or whatever metallic pieces of machinery they could use as weapons. Night Club wasn't the least bit intimidated, waiting for her prey to get close enough to force them to risk permanent hearing damage. She played another metallic riff, forcing even those attempting to draw a bead on her to cover their ears. As some of them came to a stop, unable to bear the assault on their ears, a fashionable heroine swung in with a cheer, kicking those closest to Night Club into the wall. Eleven of Hearts then swung back around for a second swipe, forcing more to evade and run into each other.

This proved to be an effective distraction that left their rear guard open, allowing a mechanic-skilled six year old to sneak around and locate a main water pipe by the wall. Tapping it with her wrench, Royal Flush ginergly probed it for a weakspot; she grinned wickedly when she felt a dull thud in the metal.

"Hey uglies!" She called out, making the grunts within earshot glance back. "Thought you look thirsty!" Flush struck the pipe with great force, busting it open and letting a torrent of water gush from the breach. The torrent continued until the lack of pressure caused the water to become nothing more than an eve, steady flow. Several grunts were floored by the flash flood, but those that weren't affected by the flooding trained their guns on the lone hero. The smirk on Flush's face dropped upon realizing the dangerous position she put herself in.

Seconds before they started shooting, Strong Suit dropped down with a slab of concrete twice her size, jamming it into the floor as bullets failed to penetrate the makeshift barrier. The six year old recoiled instinctively, only relaxing when she realized none of the bullets were hitting her. "Thanks."

"Try not to get shot this time." Strong Suit smirked before tearing a piece of piping out of the wall and flattening it into a disk.

Then, she tossed it like a frisbee; the metal object was like a flying buzz saw at the speed it was rotating. The grunts immediately ducked to avoid getting decapitated, although their guns weren't so fortunate. Each one was cut at the middle like a hit knife through butter, and the disk kept going until it stuck itself into the side of another machine. No longer under fire, the athletic heroine performed her signature charge attack, bowling over any enemy that was in her way.

Strong Suit made a cheesy grin as her enemies flew every which way as if they were weightless. "Oh yeah! Ain't nothing that can take down Strong Suit!" The brunette cheered as she started doing a little victory dance.

Due to this, the strong-armed hero didn't realize there was a grunt speeding towards her with a forklift. The mook laughed evilly to himself, thinking he'd get an easy kill. And yet, such acts of tunnel vision are what usually wind up getting you killed yourself. One jewel-powered six year old stood on one of the catwalks above the production line, frowning at the scene below her. Crossing her arms in an X formation, Queen of Diamonds closed her eyes as multiple shards formed in front of her in a circle formation. Once she was certain she made enough, the Queen locked her eyes on her target before thrusting her hands forward, sending the shards accelerating towards the unsuspecting flunkie. As soon as he got within 20 yards of Strong Suit, the shards impaled the engine compartment as well as 2 tires, forcing the forklift to spin out of control. Didn't help the door was still partially flooded from Flush's stunt.

Strong Suit stopped her self-praise just in time to see the vehicle fly past her and smash into a 30ft compressor. A steady stream of air leaked from the damaged machine while the driver was passed out at the wheel.

"Stop showboating you idiot!" Queen yelled from above.

The young teen just gave a shrug. "I'm not apologizing."

Upon noticing they were getting surrounded, the large group of grunts dispersed to deal with the threats; a tactical error for what was to come. They had to yet to notice a few more members of the Full House were unaccounted for, only to find out the hard way when several mooks fell into a pre-dug pit in one direction and a few more were smashed into the floor by a massive, well-placed jack-in-the-box hiding behind a massive pile of logs.

Willy, who kept himself hidden from the skirmish, couldn't help but bring a hand to his forehead in frustration. "And this was supposed to be an _easy_ job." He gave a little shrug. "Eh, I'll find some new recruits soon enough." He turned tail and made a beeline for an exit.

This didn't go unnoticed by the ever watchful eye of Card Counter, who was monitoring everyone's position through the security cameras on shown on her tablet. From her position on a separate catwalk high above the main floor, she could also call out any enemies that were out of the cameras view. Her tablet was connected to a control panel, where she then traced her fingers over the circuit breakers that controlled the individual lighting circuits of the building. "High Card, Willy is making a break for the western emergency exit."

 _"Don't worry. He won't get far."_ The oldest member spoke in a firm tone on the mic.

Willy managed to make it to a large storage room filled with various cutting tools, spotting an exit door just on the other side. Smirking to himself, he knew he'd once again be able to make a clean getaway before those brats even realized he was missing. While he was a bit sore at having to put his vacation home plans on hold, at least he could find another time to enact his scheme; hopefully without interference. Having a ton of mooks to cover your ass sure had its perks. Plus, he didn't even need to pay them anymore now that they were certain to get jailed!

When Willy got halfway through the room, the lights suddenly cut off. Confused, he slowed to a stop. "What in the-" Was all the man got out before receiving a swift blow to the jaw that sent him to the floor. Seconds later, Willy felt his arms being bound behind him with what he assumed was cable from one of the shelves. Then, by e felt himself getting dragged over to a wall and unceremoniously slammed into it. Although he couldn't see who he was dealing with, he he a good guess as to who.

"Very clever, Ace Savvy." Willy spat venomously. "Waitin' til I try to mosey on out before ya spring the trap, eh?"

A dark chuckle that didn't sound anything like the person he was expecting greeted him. It sounded much older, and feminine. "Please. That little traitor will stay in hiding if he knows what's good for him."

The lights suddenly flickered to life, temporarily blinding the old man. Once his vision was corrected, Willy stared back at a grinning High Card, who was fiddling with a machete in one hand.

"High Card..."

"The one and only. Now," Her eyes became heated behind her mask. "What were you planning to do with all those machines? I doubt it was for some 'little project'."

"What? An old man like me can't build a nice home for himself to get away from all you crazy people?"

"Or, to build a new _hideout_ in secret. But, it doesn't matter now though since you won't be seeing it anyways." The teen began to twirl the blade in her hands.

"So, what? You just gonna hand me over to them coppers?" He stifled a laugh. "Haven't y'all gotten it through them young heads a yers that no prison can hold me forever?"

High Card nodded. "True. You can cheat the system..." She repositioned the blade before forcibly tilting Willy's head upwards. Then, she moved the machete to be an inch from his neck. "But can you cheat _death_?"

Willy gulped in fear as High Card started to press the sharp edge on his neck. "N-Now hold on! I thought you folks didn't kill no one!"

"What can I say? We literally had a _change of management._ " The teen grinned evilly. "You've been too much of a problem for far too long Wild Card, so it's time for you to fold. _Permanently!_ "

As they were talking, neither High Card or Wild Card notice a lone figure drop in from the skylight. Just as the blonde was about to draw blood, a young, masculine scream yelled from behind before High Card suddenly found an arm constricted against her throat. Gasping from the sudden cut off of air, the heroine was forced to remove herself from Willy as she thrashed around to get her assailant off. Having free reign of his own body once again, Willy snapped his head down to see an odd sight: Ace Savvy was clinging to High Card's back, holding onto his chokehold position as the older hero grew angrier by the second.

"Huh. I thought them rumors about Ace turnin' screwy were a bag of farts." Willy muttered to himself.

High Card could feel herself beginning to suffer from oxygen starvation, so she started doing everything she could to loosen her attacker from her neck. She tried to reach behind her to stab her attacker, but her assailant quickly grabbed the machete and banged her hand against a shelf, forcing her to drop it. With her main weapon gone, High Card resorted to crashing back first into the shelves. She could hear her attacker grunting in pain, but they refused to give in as the person tightened their hold on her neck.

Willy watched as the two collided into the wall next to him, which happened to have several saw blades hung above. His eyes widened when one fell loose, aimed directly at his head. The old man shut his eyes tight, thinking this was the end for him as he heard something being cut. Instead of the feeling the searing pain one would feel when having their head cut open, he felt his arms slacken a bit with no physical pain to himself. Opening an eye, and deducing he was still alive seeing the two Full House members fighting each other, Willy instinctively moved his hands to find the cable was cut cleanly in two.

Doing a quick spot check, the old man whistled to himself awkwardly as he excused himself from the scene. The two combatants never noticed him walk right out the door.

High Card started to feel her vision become clouded and dark, but she still had enough fight in her to pull one last ditch effort. Lowering her chin just enough, she could feel fabric just inches from her lips. Opening her mouth, she bit down hard on the arm, making the attacker cry out in pain. The hold slacked a tad, just what she was looking for. Wretching the limb from her neck, High Card flipped her adversary over her back and slammed them onto the floor.

The blonde took in deep breaths as she massaged the skin of her neck. Looking down, her face became partially red with rage. "You!"

Ace moaned in pain as he sat up, holding the bite marks on his costume. As he turned to face his sister, a boot kicked him directly in his chin, making another cry escape him. "You just had to get in the way, didn't you?!"

Rubbing his jawline, "I had to High Card...I couldn't let you kill him..." He gagged a little as High Card grabbed by the neck, hoisting him into the air so he could see the intense burning in her eyes. "It's not the right thing to do!" Ace choked out, trying to pry her hand loose. "Y-You know that!"

"Things change Ace, and clearly, you still haven't learned from your mistake..." High Card tightened her grip a bit more, with Ace kicking his feet wildly as he started to gasp for air. "You know, we already lied to the media about you turning into a villain, but when they hear that you _helped_ Wild Card Willy escape," The teen grinned smugly at him. "I'm sure they'll have a nice little cell waiting for a little bastard like you."

Ace would've taken huge offense to that, but he couldn't help but feel something was...off...about Lori's eyes. The iris was noticeably different in color, almost yellowish instead of the typical blue. It was somewhat faded, and it was like you could tell Lori was still there...but at the same time, she wasn't.

High Card's grip tightened a bit on his neck as she activated her comms. Her lips curled into a frown. "Card Counter, Willy got away," She grinned wickedly at the 11 year old, "But I got the boy responsible."

 _"Understood. I had a feeling he might show himself...anyway, the rest of Willy's men have been dealt with, so bring him out, please."_ Card Counter stated.

Ace did his best to clear his throat after having loosened High Card's grip a little. "I-Is this what you really want Lori?!" He spat heatedly, catching the teen off guard by the use of her real name. The white-haired hero didn't want to pull this card, but felt he had to. "Do you think mom and dad would be proud of this?!"

The boy watched as Lori's eyes brightened up for a few seconds, as if she was contemplating his words. However, they faded back to their original state, and brought out an angry teen with it. Bringing him close, "It doesn't matter what they think; they're long gone now..." Her voice carried a hint of depression for a brief second. "But I don't believe mom and dad would be happy knowing their _only_ son turned to a life of crime..."

 _CLICK!_

"Why don't you take a good, long look at a mirror your _highness_?" A voice spoke behind them.

Turning, High Card was greeted with a card-themed Hispanic girl pointing a pistol at her. "I'm only gonna say this once: drop him. Now." Ace-sassin ordered.

The blonde gave a confused and uninterested look in return. "And just who the heck are you?"

"Welp," The sharpshooter shrugged. "I asked nicely." Before any of the Louds could react, Ace-sassin pulled the trigger; the bullet bore through High Card's forearm before making a clean exit out the other side. The teen gave a shrill scream as she dropped her brother, holding onto her injured limb.

Both kids seized the chance to run deeper into the factory, as that gunshot likely alerted everyone else. "Guys!" Ace panted, rubbing his throat. "We're gonna need some backup!" He turned to Ace-sassin with a glare, "And did you really have to shoot her?!"

"We both know she wouldn't care who I was and just treat me like an enemy. Besides, I gave us a head start!" Ace-sassin retorted.

High Card glared in their direction as she fought back a few tears. "You two are literally _dead_ for this!" Her voice carried after them.

On the moonlit roof, Deuce gave a wide grin after hearing Ace's call. "Thought you might say that."

The 7 year old was situated in a prone position as she peered through a skylight, carefully lining up any of the Full House in her sights. A few of the girls started moving towards the back to investigate, so Deuce figured she'd have to act fast in order to keep the separated. Through her scope, the rocketeer spotted Queen of Diamonds cautiously walking on a catwalk a couple stories down.

"Hope you enjoy this present, _sister_..." Deuce uttered smugly before pulling the trigger.

Queen of Diamonds flinched upon hearing the sound of a motor running, with it getting louder by each half-second. Twisting around, the six year old was met with the familiar sight of two green-colored rockets flying directly towards her. Knowing what was going to happen, "NoooooOOOOOO-!" Her screams quickly were replaced by fits of coughing and gagging as a cloud of gas enveloped her. Queen stumbled on the platform, trying to find a way out, only to tumble over the railing. "AAAAAAAAHHHH!"

Eleven of Hearts turned towards the screams, nearly letting out one herself as she saw her sister in free fall. "Don't worry! I'll get you!" Flinging a sash outward, it wrapped around a steel beam on the ceiling. Tugging it to ensure it was secure, Eleven swung in a path that would allow her to intercept her teammate. Just before she could reach Queen though, she felt her rope line lose all tension as a loud explosion rocked the facility. Eleven screamed as she fell to the floor, her yells being cut short as she slid on her stomach a couple feet before coming to a stop. The 16 year old then felt all of the air she had leave her chest as Queen landed on her back.

"Thanks for the save..." The younger blonde groaned out.

"No...problem..." Eleven wheezed, watching the end of her sash come down. To her dismay, it had some burn marks on it; one look at the ceiling showed a few residual fires on the beam she tried to use. Her brows knotted together as rage began to overtake her initial shock. "WHO BLEW UP MY SASH?!"

"There's plenty more where that came from." Mad Bomber chuckled to himself, lying adjacent to where Deuce was positioned.

 _"Are you two alright? What happened?"_ Card Counter's voice echoed through their comms.

Queen growled as she touched her receiver. "Deuce just blew me off the ceiling!" She yelled, to with the 4 year old cringed a bit. "When I find that poop-throwing philistine, I'm gonna shove one of those rockets down her throat!" She got off Eleven and started making her way back to the upper levels.

"Right...well be as it may, be advised that Ace is loose in the facility with an unknown accomplice. Should you encounter them, subdue them quickly." The prodigy finished, swiping the screen of her tablet as she checked each camera. "Should also find whoever is the hooligan that caused that explosion..." Card Counter muttered the last part to herself.

 _"Did you make that noise, Night_ _Club?"_ Joker asked over the comms.

The musician shook her head as she responded, holding her guitar in one hand. "Nah sis, but I kinda wish I did." She half-joked. Suddenly, a metal rope came flying from the door behind her. It silently wrapped around the neck of her guitar before the owner tugs it violently towards them.

Feeling her weapon leave her grasp, "What the?!" Night Club turns to find her axe in the hands of some kid dressed like a cowboy.

"Evenin' ma'am." Wrangler tipped his hat towards her.

"Not cool dude!" Night Club growled, stomping over to the young man. "Give me back my axe!"

Wrangler gave a smug grin under his facial bandana. "Y'all didn't say _please_."

The 15 year old narrowed her eyes as she stepped just outside the main door. "It wasn't even yours in the first place!" The musician then felt something heavy drop onto her back, forcing her face-first into the ground. She grunted in pain as she felt one of her arms being folded behind her back. Lifting her head a bit, Night Club caught the sight of an eye-patched individual she knew all too well.

"Sorry about this Night Club, but it's for your own good." One-Eyed Jack stated firmly, pushing her arm up further.

"Get off me you useless lackey!" Night Club shouted as she started to thrash around, kicking her feet out every which way while rolling to get Jack to release his grip.

Once she rolled onto her back, Night Club used her feet to push herself along the ground in order to grind him off. However, she couldn't move too much before Wrangler threw his lasso at her feet. With a heavy pull, he stopped her momentum all together; this allowed Jack to reverse the position and plant her flat on her stomach once more while shoving her face into the dirt.

Jack shook the soil out of his hair, not caring too much that his glasses were out of alignment. "Don't make this harder than it needs to be Night Club. We don't want to have to hurt you!"

"That's a shame, because I don't share those sentiments..." A monotonous voice called out, spooking the two boys of them.

Wrangler looked behind him just as a spade was swinging towards his face. He yelped and ducked at the last second, his hat getting swatted off his head. Eight of Spades swung again, forcing the cowboy to lean back to the point he fell onto his rear. "Woah there!" The 8 year old then jumped to deliver a heavy hitter, making Wrangler release his lasso to scoot backwards. The head of the spade impacted the ground with a small dust cloud. "Easy with that thing!"

"Just hold still. It'll be quick." Eight spoke evenly, giving her weapon a small twirl before raising it again. Wrangler moved his leg just a few inches as the shovel dug itself into the dirt. When she swung down a second time, Wrangler managed to catch it before growling through his teeth while attempting to wrestle the shovel out of her hands.

Night Club didn't know what was going on outside of hearing Eight's voice, and she was getting sick of having to eat dirt for the last few minutes. Lifting her head, the rocker spotted her guitar lying near one of the trucks. Turning her head slightly, she saw that Jack was a little preoccupied watching Wrangler and Eight fighting over her shovel. Newfound determination overcame the rocker as she bucked unexpectedly, managing to bop Jack off her back. Quickly getting to her feet, Night Club started bunny-hopping towards her weapon, only to yelp as she fell to her stomach again due to her feet being pulled from under her. Jack was holding onto the rope that partially immobilized her, but Night Club was proving to be stronger than expected; she slowly clawed her way towards her instrument, hoping to settle the score once and for all.

* * *

 _Meanwhile..._

Ace and Ace-sassin reached a small area adjacent to the main floor, having just heard an explosion as well as a few feminine screams. They stopped behind at a blind corner, to which Savvy took a cautious peek.

"Seems like they're keeping them busy." The tomboy stated, keeping an eye on their six.

"Just a few of them I'll bet. They still have numbers on their side..." Ace clarified, shifting his gaze from left to right. Aside from some goons that were still unconscious, he couldn't see any other members of the Full House. "Chances are they might be heading out to investigate the noise, which should put them in line of sight for Deuce and Bomber."

"And if they dodge, they'll move to outnumber them." Ace-sassin flinched as something sounded like it was being broken in the direction they came from. "Not that we can stick around here either with your ticked off sister somewhere behind us." She looked back at Ace. "So when we do locate the rest, what do you have in mind?"

"We're still gonna subdue them so we can discuss everything. If I knew they'd go quietly, I'd have picked a different plan. Though we'll have to speed things up a bit before they get a chance to organize..." Ace gave a short pause as he fiddled with his comms. "Deuce, do you see Card Counter anywhere?"

Deuce scanned the ground floor, not seeing the person of interest, but spotted Eleven making passing glances to whatever noises were occurring outside. "Just a bunch of passed out morons and one of our sisters. I can pass some gas at her if you want."

 _"Don't. Me, Ace-sassin, and Mirage will work to keep them divided. Just locate Card Counter and let me know ASAP."_

"Got it..." The 7 year old muttered, now focusing her attention on the upper decks.

The rocketeer couldn't see much from her current position, which put her in a bind. She didn't want to risk being spotted and preffered to stick to a supporting role (which was breaking up fights and causing a distraction), but Deuce recognized the need to locate her prodigy of a sister before she could think of a way to ruin their plans. Deciding it was worth the risk, Deuce pocketed her mask and dropped down onto the highest catwalk.

"Now where, oh where could my old roommate be?" She muttered in a sing-song tone.

As Deuce walked around on her level, she failed to notice Queen of Diamonds, who was stomping around on another catwalk a couple levels below. The irate six year old huffed and puffed as she scanned the roof for wherever the rocketeer may be hiding, growing more impatient by the second. Out of boredom, Queen looked down to see if anything was going on, and by chance, she happened to spot Ace and Ace-sassin trying to stay hidden amongst the machinery. They weren't too far from where Strong Suit was located.

A malicious grin formed on Queen's face. Deuce would have to wait, cause there were two targets just begging to be ambushed. Touching her receiver, "Hey Strong Suit, you got some 'friends' near you."

* * *

 _Elsewhere..._

With our resident Joker, she opted to remain close to her Jack-in-the-Box due to Ace and Deuce's presence. For one, she wasn't looking forward to smelling like a skunk that combined its stench with a landfill. For another, and Joker hated to admit it, but she wouldn't fare well against Ace and whomever he was with. She just wasn't that well suited to straight up hand to hand combat; not only that, Ace knew just about every trick she could throw at him despite being random in her attacks. But what was the biggest unknown factor to the comedian, was who exactly did Ace bring with him. If it was Jack (which would have been very likely), then CC would've said so. Not only that, Night Club had suddenly ended her call, and it sounded like there was a fight going on outside. But there was a good possibility that it might've been the grunts the musician incapacitated before the initial fighting; not really something worth breaking a nail over.

Poking out of her hidden post, Joker saw Eleven was within earshot as she tried to fix her ruined sash. A sudden tap to her leg made her jump slightly. Turning around, the comedian breathed a sigh of relief that it was only Royal Flush.

"You seen Ace anywhere?" The plumber asked as she started picking her nose. "I look all around back in the storage room and didn't see anything. Well, except High Card, but you'd best stay away from her."

"Why's that?"

"Apparently, someone shot her in the arm." Flush squinted as she stuck her finger deeper, closing an eye as she pulled out a large booger. "She'll live, but she's _dead set_ on finding the guy who did it." Just as she opened her mouth to consume her 'snack', Joker smacked it out of her hand.

"Ew! Gross! We told you to stop doing that!"

Flush glared at her older sister. "Well I didn't get to eat anything since we left the base! And these guys," She gestured to some of the grunts lying on the floor, "Ransacked all the vending machines!"

 _"Hey Strong Suit, you got some 'friends' near you."_ Both girls heard Queen speak on the comms.

"Well, guess that answers that." Joker smiled as she elbowed her prized weapon. It folded itself down into a small, handheld box before she picked it up. "Wanna give Strong Suit a hand?"

Flush patted the head of her pipe wrench into her hand. "Oooooh yeah. I was getting really-"

"Hello, ladies." Came a voice with a calm, masculine, and teasing tone.

Both girls looked to their left to see a boy roughly Luan's age, maybe lower, dressed in a black and green tux with a mask and fedora to match.

"Ooooooooooo! A magician!" Flush cheered excitedly.

Joker narrowed her eyes. "Wait a second, why would a _magician_ be out here in the middle of all this? And second, are you even a _real_ magician?..." She folded her arms as she gave the boy a quizzical look.

"Most refer to me as one, but you may refer to me as," The boy covered the lower part of his face with his cape, "Mirage Master."

Joker gave a half-lidded stare. "That sounds so-"

"Cool!" Royal Flush interrupted.

"Did you guys say _magician_?!" Eleven asked in glee as she came running over.

"Well well well, seems I have quite the audience. I suppose that a show is in order." Mirage grinned, a deck of cards flowing from his cuffs and into his hands.

Now, Joker performed magic acts herself for little kid's birthday parties, and while there was an unspoken rule that a magician never reveals their secrets, she could tell this guy was being corny as all hell. _"Card tricks? Really?..."_ She groaned inwardly.

Mirage closed the deck in between both hands before opening them, revealing empty palms. Both Flush and Eleven were amazed in spite of Joker not being impressed. "Nothing up my sleeves, as you can see." He spoke, tugging the cuffs of the tux down slightly.

Casually walking over, he stopped in front of Joker, who raised a brow in confusion before he reached behind her and pulled out the missing deck. Then, Mirage shuffled the deck a few times before taking off his fedora. Joker stifled a laugh at the site of his curly red hair, growing a little curious to see where this was going. Mirage put the deck into the hat and, turning it towards the girls, a flock of doves flew out and into the air.

Both Flush and Eleven became starry-eyed at the spectacle, with Joker gave a little shrug. "Ok, I guess that is _a little_ impressive."

* * *

While both teams were in the midst of sorting things out and fighting amongst each other, all of the grunts were beginning to wake up and were confused as to what was going on. However, recognizing that Willy was no where to be found and the overabundance of heroes, anyone who had awoken decided it was best to leave than risk getting jailed. Those who weren't currently distracted took notice, but did nothing to stop them. After all, they were just pathetic mooks who weren't worth spending energy on. It wouldn't be long until the factory was completely empty; aside from the two groups seeking to dominate each other.

And in the midst of all this chaos...

"Look out!" Ace-sassin quickly pushed Ace forward as a hail of shards came flying at them. The two booked it as more rained down from above, the duo feeling some stings as projectiles grazed their costumes and the skin underneath. They sought immediate shelter under a conveyor belt close to the main floor, panting for breath as their adrenaline started to wan.

"You...you alright?" Ace asked his partner, inspecting himself. A few shards managed to nick him in a couple places where fresh blood leaked out, but otherwise he appeared ok.

"Y-Yeah..." Ace-sassin replied with a shaky tone, taking a moment to remove her mask. There was a shard embedded in the spot where her forehead sat. While the sharpshooter was mostly unharmed outside of a few scratches, that piece of diamond was mere centimeters from piercing her skull. The tomboy pulled the shard out of her mask, before setting it back on her face. "What the heck is this?"

Ace glanced at the object. He knew exactly who made those; but before he could voice his thoughts, the belt itself was ripped off at their position, making a horrible bending noise as metal was torn from its joints. The two tweens screamed in surprise as Strong Suit stared at them with a malicious grin.

"Heeere's Strong Suit!"

Being the first to recover, Ace-sassin immediately drew her pistols and opened fire directly at the teen's chest. To her surprise, although the bullets buried themselves into her skin, Strong Suit didn't appear to be hurt by what would normally be a killing blow. Glaring at the sharpshooter, Strong Suit grabbed the girl by her arms and flung her out of the hole. Ace watched his partner fly out of sight before glaring at Suit, who returned the look and tried reaching for him. He slid under her grasp before grabbing her outstretched arm and yanking her down to the floor. As Strong Suit landed on her face, Savvy took the chance to escape her, knowing very well that he wouldn't be able to match her hand to hand. As he crawled out from under the belt, the 11 year old gave a surprised yelp as he felt a hand grab his leg.

"You're not gettin' away that easily Stinkcoln!"

The boy's glare wavered a little as he noticed Lynn's eyes looked similar to Lori's, only the yellowish tint was much more visible. "Try me!" Was his response as he kicked her in the face. The 13 year old screamed a bit as she held her nose with both hands, giving Ace the seconds he needed to run. Strong Suit growled loudly as she crawled from under the belt and gave chase.

Ace-sassin cried out as she rebounded off a support beam and slid onto the floor, her pistol sliding in next to her a second later. She arched her back upwards as she brought her hands to the sore spot, giving a loud hiss as pain coursed through her body. "Dang it...forgot those sissy rounds don't work on her..."

Ace-sassin then heard the familiar sound of a small object cutting through the air at subsonic speeds. Her eyes widened as more of those diamond shards were flying towards her, and immediately rolled along the ground to dodge the attack. There was a brief pause in the assault as Ace-sassin got to her feet, which granted her enough time to track where the shots came from. Spotting a small silhouette on one of the catwalks above her, the tomboy drew out her second pistol and dumped both magazines at that spot.

Mirage's performance was interrupted by the hail of gunfire, to which everyone turned to the noise and spotted Ace-sassin shooting at a particular spot. Looking up, Joker caught the distinct silhouette of a crown, a gasp escaping her upon realizing Queen was in danger. Furrowing her brows, Joker reached for her prized weapon, only to discover the emptiness that sat in its usual place.

"What the..." She dug into her other pocket. "Where's my-" Joker paused when she pulled out a few low end playing cards. Her eyes widened when she remembered Mirage had taken his deck from her.

Joker's face formed a red hue as steam came out her ears. "You little thief!" She shouted, to the confusion of the other girls. "Give me back my Jack-in-the-Box!"

"Um..." Mirage gave a long pause, trying to think of something. "I plead the fifth?" He smiled sheepishly. Joker wasn't in the mood for playing around, for she reaches behind her back and pulled out a mallet roughly the size of her entire body. Mirage's pupils shrank as sweat began to run down his forehead. "Wait! I have one last trick to show you!"

"Like, what?..." Joker fumed, now standing in front of him and holding the mallet above her head.

Mirage didn't speak, but did a few hand movements before taking off his hat. He then pointed the bottom of the hat towards the girls before Joker was thrown backwards as some kind of seeds blasted out of the headwear like water in a high pressure hose. The other two girls barely got a scream out before they were practically buried.

Flush lifted her head out of the pile first, spitting out a few seeds. She chewed one that was stuck between her teeth, savoring the taste. "Is _this...bird_ _food?_ " Joker and Eleven burst out of the pile, giving murderous glares the redhead.

"Yep." Mirage looked at his watch. "Just give it a sec."

The girls raised a brow at that statement, before looking up as multiple shadows obscured the light provided from the ceiling. The doves Mirage set free earlier had been roosting on the upper levels of the building; having smelled the bird seed, they immediately started diving towards the heroines. All three of them let out another scream as they struggled to get out of the pile, but it was too late. They were completely surrounded by the flock as they made feeble attempts to shoo the birds away.

"I can't see anything!" Flush cried.

"Ow, ow! Make it stoooop!" Eleven shrieked.

Mirage began to whistle a tune as he shoved his hands in his pockets, turning around to leave the girls to their fate. "YOU!" He paused midstep, giving a side glance backwards. Joker managed to free herself from the swarm with various cuts marring her costume and face. Mirage gave a nervous grin before taking off like the devil was after him; then again, have you ever seen Luan when she was pissed?

"GET BACK HERE!" Joker yelled, now brandishing a mallet _twice_ her size as she chased after her prey.

Back with Ace-sassin, she watched as some of the bullets missed by impacting the roof, beams, and the floor of the catwalk, but the rest had hit their mark.

Or so she thought.

A bright flash occurred as if some of the bullets were deflected off a pink surface. Ace-sassin grew confused for a moment, before she heard a young feminine voice yelling, "Why you little!"

The figure jumped off the catwalk, revealing Queen of Diamonds encircled in a bubble. The little girl herself had murderous intent etched on her face, no doubt it was about the holes her dress received from the wall of bullets sent her way. Ace-sassin jumped to the side as Queen crashed into her former position, a sizable hole forming in the ground.

"You're going to pay for ruining my gown!" Queen shouted at Ace-sassin as she prepared more shards.

" _You're_ going to pay for nearly killing me!" The tomboy retorted. Believing that her regular bullets would have little effect, she holstered her glocks while exchanging them for the much larger Desert Eagles.

"And _you're_ going to pay for shooting me..." A mature voice cut in behind the sharpshooter. As Ace-sassin turned, a fist collided with her cheek, sending her tumbled back until she fell to the ground. Gritting her teeth, Ace-sassin wasn't too surprised to see High Card with her fists ready; her bleeding arm was hastily wrapped in gauze, which was now partially red as the wound hadn't fully healed.

* * *

 _A few stories up..._

As the chaos continued below, Deuce continued her search for Card Counter. She went down a couple levels to get a better view of everything going on; it was so strange, yet kinda sad. She spotted Mirage keeping 3 of the girls distracted with a couple tricks, which may have explained the birds she saw. Near the massive loading door, Deuce caught a glimpse of Wrangler chasing Eight of Spades around with her own shovel. Suddenly, sparks started shooting around Deuce, making her flinch and nearly fall to the floor. Looking down, she saw Ace-sassin shooting at a certain spot close to where she was. It was then that Deuce finally noticed Queen of Diamonds, who projected a barrier around herself once the pageant winner realized she was being shot at.

"Why you little!" Deuce heard her shout before she jumped down.

The 7 year old watched her go, nearly landing on the sharpshooter who immediately pulled out a different set of pistols. Then, to her shock, Deuce watched as High Card came from behind and sucker-punched her. Narrowing her eyes, the 7 year old knew it wasn't going to be a fair fight. The blonde started gritting her teeth seconds later when she caught sight of Strong Suit chasing after her brother; the athletic heroine was now throwing random objects at Ace who constantly bobbed and weaved to avoid getting hit.

"Seems I need to even the score..." Deuce gripped her launcher tight as she lined up a shot. She only had two rockets left in the tube, but she figured just one would be enough. Hopefully her teammates won't mind being gassed.

 _BZZZZZZT!_

Deuce froze when she heard that sound, along with something behind pushed into her back. "Drop the launcher, Deuce." A familiar, nerdy voice with a lisp ordered.

The 7 year old glared into space as she refused to comply, which earned her another poke, this time to the base of her skull. "I said, drop it..."

Deuce gave a frustrated sigh as she let her launcher fall to the floor, after which Card Counter kicked it out of easy reach. The rocketeer kept her hands raised, hoping her sister didn't decide to just shoot her then and there. As she turned around, Deuce saw Card Counter had some sort of blaster in one hand with a tablet in the other. Judging by the amount of electricity that was charged in the container at the center, Deuce had to guess it was her Tesla Gun.

"Nice to see you, _sister..._ " The blonde spat with venom in her tone.

"I could say the same to you, _traitor..._ " Card Counter returned the sentiment.

Deuce gave a low chuckle. "It's funny how you call me a traitor when _you're_ the ones who decided to try and kill our brother. And for what? Over a bad streak?"

Card Counter gave a light sigh. "Still naive you are Deuce. We didn't have a choice; we were willing to let Lincoln go quietly, but he decided fighting would've been a better option."

"Obviously, because he was following the principles _all of us_ agreed to. What you guys did was basically spit on them and tell Lincoln that you guys were going to do things your way, not caring if it was right or wrong!" Deuce retorted.

"And he didn't understand that those principles we set up aren't working! Why do you think we decided to teach Card Shark a lesson he wouldn't forget? Even tonight, we would've been free of Wild Card Willy's shenanigans, but you dunderheads ruined that!" The 4 year old countered.

"And who said it's our job to kill people?! I can't even..." Deuce bit her lip as hot tears appeared at the corners of her eyes. "Even if it were our job, I couldn't do it. We're supposed to help others by showing we can keep them safe, not getting rid of anyone whose bad."

"And yet, there's some masked vigilante who murders those who committed heinous acts on the innocent." Card Counter lowered her weapon a bit. "Just face facts Deuce. Things need to change. All of us grew up mentally at an exponential rate after the passing of our parents. Sad as it may be, but this is what we must do." Deuce stared at the ground with a depressed look. "Don't you believe our parental units would've approved what we're trying to do?"

One of Deuce's eyes twitched as a flash of heated anger overcame her. "No..." Giving a dark look at the short brunette, "I'm pretty sure they would say you guys are grounded until you're 18 for nearly killing Lincoln..."

Card Counter narrowed her eyes as her brows knitted into a V-shape. "I'm beginning to wish you were still a clueless infant..."

"If you didn't have that stupid thing," Deuce gestured to the gun, mustering up a small laugh. "Pointed at me, you'd _really_ wish I was."

No sooner had she finished saying that, all the windows of the factory shattered as an extremely loud guitar riff cut through the building like a hot knife through butter. Deuce and Card Counter were nearly floored once the sound wave hit them, and one glance below would show that everyone else had to cover their ears or risk permanent hearing damage.

As the entire factory shook from the musical assault, Deuce found it difficult to regain her senses. As she steadied herself while trying to block out the noise, Deuce eyed her sister, who was trying to retrieve her dropped weapon. Giving a low growl, the rocketeer did her best to block out the noise as she charged the prodigy. Card Counter only had a few seconds to meet the eyes of an angry 7 year old before Deuce crashed into her.

* * *

 _On the roof..._

Mad Bomber gave a light snore as he rested on his stomach, having fallen into a bored-induced sleep a little after he ruined Eleven of Heart's sash. For all the power he had at his fingertips, being the team's demo-man had severe disadvantages: he couldn't use his explosives often due to fear of friendly fire, he might damage the factory too much, and while his crowd control abilities may be second to none, Ace didn't want his other sisters to be maimed for life. Bomber had to admit, the guy still had a heart in spite of what they did to him. With little to do outside of keeping track of potential targets, the boy simply got too comfortable and passed out.

Unknown to most people, this demolitionist was a heavy sleeper. Not even the constant gunshots Ace-sassin was putting out could wake him up. However, that didn't mean he wasn't susceptible to a one-woman rock concert trying to wake up the entire town.

Bomber screamed himself awake as he heard a loud guitar riff being play just below him. His glasses cracked from the constant vibrations that rocked his core, not even registering the distinct sound of shattering glass. Pressing his fingers hard into his ears, he stumbled over to the roof's edge to find out who had the indecency to arouse him from his sleep.

The ringing in Bomber's ears grew louder once he peeked over the edge, finding a displeasing sight. Night Club managed to get to her guitar despite Jack's attempts to stop her, and was venting her frustration at anything within earshot. The demo saw his teammates withering in pain from bearing the brunt of it, along with Eight of Spades looking like she was trying to keep her head from exploding.

Giving an irritating growl, Mad Bomber pulled out his launcher and aimed it directly at Night Club's axe. Ace won't like hearing about a sister losing a hand, or arm, but it wouldn't matter if something doesn't shut her up. Unfortunately, the demo had no clue as to what the sound waves were doing to his equipment. No sooner did he pull the trigger, the bomb that left the barrel exploded right in front of him. Bomber was thrown backwards by the explosion, with soot covering his front and his hair partially alight.

"Well, that was just dandy..." The boy grumbled to himself.

Eight of Spades stumbled over to her teammate, the ringing in her ears becoming louder by the second. The grave digger started to feel some sort of liquid forming in her ears, not sure if it was water or worse, blood.

"Night Club!" Eight shouted when she came up to her sister's side. Unfortunately, the teen didn't seem to hear her, nor was aware of her immediate surroundings. Taking a deep breath, "NIGHT CLUB!" Again, her voice was drowned out by the music.

Growling to herself, Eight took a risk and unplugged her ears, marching right up to the rocker and shoving her to the ground. "STOP PLAYING YOUR STUPID MUSIC!" Eight shouted before going into a small coughing fit; being nearly silent all the time, her voice box can be strained easily if she raises her voice too much.

"Geez sis, what's the deal?!" Night Club retorted, glaring daggers at the young girl. She lost her irritation upon noticing a few spots of blood on Eight's fingers. "You ok brah?"

"I'm fine..." Eight strained as she coughed a bit more, her voice raspy and dry.

Night Club pulled the girl's hood back to check her for injuries, finding it odd that there were no traces of damage on her face outside of a bruise forming on her left cheek. However, Night spotted a trail of blood on both sides of Eight's neck, which started to worry her. Moving a few strands of hair, guilt started to pool in the musician's gut as she was met with the sight of blood flowing out of Eight's earhole.

"Oh...I'm, I'm sorry dude..." Night Club spoke sincerely. "I didn't think it was _that_ loud..."

"...I can't really hear you too well, but you forget that not all of us are resistant to extremely loud noises..." Eight spoke through gritted teeth. She turned her attention to the two boys. "What about them?"

Night Club gave a side glance before giving a warm smile to her sister. "Don't worry sis. " She patted Eight's shoulder. "You just wait here and chill for a while. I'll take care of this."

Jack and Wrangler rubbed their sore ears, trying to dispel the constant ringing as well as fighting back a huge migraine. Jack's glasses were completely broken from the sound waves, leaving him incredibly near-sighted.

"I can hardly hear a darn thing!" Wrangler shouted louder than intended, patting the side of his head as if something was stuck in his ear.

"I can hardly _see_ anything..." Jack replied, squinting his beady eyes. He saw a tall, blurry figure approaching. "That you Mirage?"

"I don't know who 'Mirage' is," Night Club spoke, planting the base of her instrument into the ground. "But if you dudes wanted a mosh pit..." She cracked her knuckles, her lips curling into a wide grin as her brows knitted together. "You're sure gonna get one!"

Wrangler raised a brow. "I don't know what you said, but I'm gonna assume it wasn't anythin' good..."

Jack gave an audible gulp, raising his hands above his head in defense. "Not the face!"

* * *

 _At the center of the main floor..._

No sooner did the music stop blaring did all of the combatants resume fighting once more. Ace was doing his best to evade Strong Suit, who was now throwing random junk at him in hopes of impaling him to a wall, Ace-sassin was forced to deal with a 3 to 1 fight against Queen of Diamonds, High Card, and Eleven of Hearts (who joined in once the music stopped); Mirage was still being pursued by an angry Joker, and finally, Deuce and Card Counter were exchanging blows on the upper levels of the building.

Oblivious to what was happening by the loading bay, Bomber wiped some soot off his face before glancing down at all the battles below him. "Man...everyone gets to have fun besides me. Maybe I should've picked a different job..."

 _"Is everyone ok?!"_ Ace's frantic voice rang out on the comms.

The short redhead raised a brow before moving along the roof to find another skylight.

 _"Rather busy here! Ugh!"_ Ace-sassin replied, apparently taking another hit from someone.

 _"Dude, your sister can't take a joke!"_ Mirage came up next, fear evident in his tone.

 _"I'll show you whose the_ real _joke around here!"_ Joker yelled loudly from behind him.

 _"Wrangler?...Jack?...Deuce?-"_ Bomber heard Ace giving a small shriek before nothing but static echoed over the mic.

There wasn't any response from aforementioned heroes. The redhead figured they had their hands full too; once he found an opening in the roof, the first thing he saw was Deuce and Card Counter rolling around a few levels below with a dust cloud obscuring their brawl.

Growing frustrated at the whole situation, the demo took his bag off and started poking around inside of it. "Come on! There's gotta be something I can use in here!"

Feeling a metallic surface, his fingers curled around it before pulling it out. It was a nearly flat disk with red and white coloring on the surface. Bomber recognized it as one of his flash mines; he chose the color as it reminded him of fireworks on a certain holiday. Originally, Bomber planned to make your run-of-the-mill flash bangs, but found that mines packed more explosive charge and had twice the brightness.

"Mmmmm…think I know _just_ where to put this." The boy grinned, eyeing one of the fights happening below.

Ace-sassin growled through her teeth as she shot round after round at the incoming shards Queen through at her, forcing the projectiles to hit anywhere but their intended target. She was forced to direct her attention upwards as Eleven of Hearts swooped in for another kick. The sharpshooter sent a few bullets her way before being forced to dodge High Card as the teen came at her with a metal staff. Backing away, Ace-sassin shot at High Card's feet to keep her at a distance, only to realize she was sandwiched between both the teen and Queen on opposite sides. Covered in bruises and cuts on various parts of her body, Ace-sassin's breaths were becoming more labored as each minute passed.

Under normal circumstances, the tomboy could handle herself against multiple enemies; the Full House were _far_ more competent and skilled than anything she faced before. The short reprieve she had when Night Club was venting did little to help her regain some stamina, and it was only a matter of time before her reflexes slowed to the point she'd be an easy target.

 _THUNK!_

Ace-sassin whipped her head towards the noise, seeing an odd-colored mine on the ground a few feet behind her.

 _"Ace-sassin, cover your eyes!"_ Bomber's voice warned.

Heeding his advice, the tomboy shielded her vision right before a loud popping sound was registered by her ears. Ace-sassin saw a brief flash whilst the ringing persisted, slowly dying as the seconds passed. Uncovering her eyes, the 11 year old was rather pleased to see High Card, Queen of Diamonds, and Eleven of Hearts rubbing their eyes intensely as they tried to correct their vision. Eleven, who was swinging back around when the flash occurred, deviated way off her intended course, until...

 _CLANG!_

She slammed face first into a large boiler. Her body went limp as her momentum caused her to swing backwards before it came undone, with the teen falling unceremoniously to the ground.

"Ooooo..." Ace-sassin winced. "Well, that's one down..." Eyeing the other two members, Ace-sassin reached into her pockets, pulling out two smoke bombs. After making sure no friendlies were in sight, a mischievous grin took shape on her face. "Time for the other two."

High Card groaned in confusion as the blurriness in her vision started to fade. "What the heck was that?"

"My guess is the same as yours sister." Queen replied, rubbing her eyes before blinking a few times. When she could see more than just her feet, the six year old grew even more confused at the forming smoke cloud. "What is she up to?..."

Enveloped by the smoke, Ace-sassin switched her heavy pistols back to the standard glocks, making sure they were fully loaded. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she began to move in a way that was akin to a ballerina, even twirling on the tips of her toes at an extremely fast pace. Once the tomboy felt she reached the right speed, she extended her guns outward and began unleashing a hail of bullets in all directions.

To say the Full House members were unprepared is an understatement. High Card stumbled about in random directions, only to be grazed at best and catch a bullet at worst everywhere she ran; she managed to find cover after taking quite a few hits, settling in as she hadn't the energy to move. Queen of Diamonds instinctively threw up a shield to defend herself, but due to the hastiness of this action and being under pressure, she couldn't put her mind into making it as strong as it should've been. Bits and pieces of her shield broke off under the storm of bullets, and she soon felt one pierce her skin at the shoulder while another two broke her crown in half. With the source of keeping her powers under control broken, Queen cried in desperation before expelling her shield in a hail of shards going every which way.

Most of the pieces heading for Ace-sassin managed to get deflected, but the tomboy was forced to cut off her attack when one shard jammed itself in her shin and another in the back of her right hand. The tomboy gave an agonizing scream as she dropped to the floor, accidentally exacerbating her hand wound in the process.

Mad Bomber was also caught off guard as several shards flew up at him. He shielded his face with his arm, with one small piece digging into the cloth and piercing the skin. A few other shards slashed the seal of his bag, making him yelp in surprise as a few mines fell to ground level.

"Oh, that's not good..."

The mines bounced off various surfaces as Bomber prayed none of them would explode. One dropped next to where the forklift from earlier crashed into a compression chamber, with the other two landing near cutting materials and among the line production machines respectively. Bomber gave a huge sigh of relief when nothing happened, but unbeknownst to him or anyone else, the impact from the fall caused the mines' timers to active. If one were close enough, they could hear a faint ticking sound...

* * *

 _Elsewhere on the main floor..._

Ace dodged another punch thrown by Strong Suit before aiming a counter to her cheek. The athlete grunted a bit before delivering a hard punch to Ace's mouth, sending him flying towards a wall. The white-haired hero reacted quickly by planting his feet against it before sliding down to the floor. He kept a hand up for balance as he took labored breaths.

"Glad you finally decided to stand and fight Ace. I was getting tired of chasing your cowardly butt all night."

"Not like...you would've...given me a choice..." Ace panted, wiping blood from his mouth.

Since the two started fighting, Strong Suit had the upper hand with her increased durability and physical prowess. However, Ace was more cunning and knew to aim for weak spots around her face, as well as the joints of her limbs to force her back. The teen sported a couple bruises here and there, but she was no worse for wear than Ace was. Missing one of his teeth, a sore cheek, hurting chest, and sprain in his lower back were at the top of his list of injuries.

"Well if you went quietly the first go round, we wouldn't be doing this. You're lucky I didn't break your arm, again." Strong Suit chuckled darkly.

"Like I'll just stop fighting crime at the drop of a hat just because you girls say so! At least I still have standards to live by, unlike a certain meat-headed jock who thinks she deserves to be called a hero!"

The brunette glared at her brother. "Says the moron whose failed to catch _any_ criminals for the past month! Ever since you left, we've been taking down crooks left and right, and all you did was hide in the shadows like the baby you always were!"

Ace rolled his eyes. "Oh sure. Stopping a bank robbery or high speed chase is sooo hard." He retorted sarcastically. "Like I could do much with a price on my head, no thanks to you guys! You told the whole town I'm a villain, and yet I bet you could take one look at the mirror and see one standing in your reflection!"

"Takes one to know one, doesn't it?" Strong Suit huffed.

Ace gritted his teeth. "I busted my back day after day trying to track our archenemies down, and you guys lose it over a little bad streak? Why? What did I do to deserve that?!"

Strong Suit grinned, folding her arms over her chest. "Well, since you asked _nicely,_ here's where it all started: back during the middle of our sour spot, me and the rest of our sisters had a meeting while you and Jack were patrolling. We wanted to figure out why we were having such bad luck, thinkin' our enemies were getting brainier or something. We also talked about whether or not you had something to do with it; but at first, we just ignored it. So, Lisa got this idea to go after a few bad guys ourselves to, quote-unquote, test to see which answer was true."

The brunette formed a grin. "We took down every bad guy we came across, probably even faster than when you were running the show. So, with that in mind, we came to you one at a time to talk about changing tactics." Her lips curled down with an accusing stare locking onto Ace. "But you were too stupid and stubborn to realize it. So, we tried again and again to change your mind, but you just couldn't see it." Strong Suit's gaze then hardened into a glare. "Lily didn't either, which is why she's on the wrong side on all of this, no thanks to her good-for-nothing brother..."

Ace opened his mouth to give his rebuttal, but Suit wasn't finished yet. "So, we decided the only way to get it through that thick head of yours was to _make you_ see it our way." She dropped her hands to her sides, gazing at the floor. "We didn't want to do it Lincoln," She locked eyes with him, "But you gave us no choice..."

A pregnant pause filled the void between them, only being briefly interrupted by the sounds of their respective groups fighting each other every few seconds.

"...If that were the case, you girls would've sat down with me and talked things out..." The boy glared at his sister. "But none of you ever did. All I heard was nothing but name-calling and mocking me for my skills. The _only_ person who ever cared to talk things over was Lily, and she understood my methods clear as day." Ace balled his hands into fists. "If you think beating me down to get what you want will change my mind on something important like our duty as heroes, here's a newsflash Lynn: that's not giving advice, that's being a bully. And you know where I stand when it comes to people like them..."

Strong Suit stifled a laugh before it became a dark chuckle. "Well then," She cracked her neck joints. "Guess I'm done talking then."

Within a second, she charged at Ace with her signature ramming attack. Squinting his eyes, Ace waited until she was close enough to use her as a platform to vault over the attack. Like he said before, Suit wasn't giving him a choice on avoiding conflict. He wanted to avoid fighting someone like her since she could take a ton of bricks before going down; but as they say, not all plans are foolproof. That said, Strong Suit may be strong, but there were weaknesses about her he could exploit.

Slamming into the wall, Strong Suit was stunned for a few seconds, giving Ace an opportunity to deliver a few quick punches to her ribs. Suit grunted in pain before she swung at him with a backhanded fist, but the boy leaned back enough for it to pass inches from his face, after which Suit decided to go for a kick. Ace grabbed her leg before spinning her away from the wall, throwing her off balance long enough to go for a jab to the eye. However, Suit grabbed his hand at the last moment, using it for leverage as she decked him across his jaw before digging her foot deep into his stomach. Ace felt whatever air he had leave him before the athletic hero kicked him several feet away. Ace tumbled backwards until he was nearly flat on his back, hissing through his teeth as he fought through the pain. His eyes widened upon seeing the tomboy flying at him with her feet extended, intent on driving him into the floor. Rolling to the left, the ground cracked as dust collected around the area of impact.

"Hold still and take your lumps like a man!" Strong Suit demanded, throwing another punch his way.

Ace redirected the fist to his left. "Sorry, but I don't like playing with someone who hits like a truck." He threw another punch to her eye. He didn't impact the organ directly, but managed to score a hit just above the socket.

Strong Suit hissed in pain as she held the spot. A red mark started to form around the affected area. "Cheap shot Stinkcoln!"

"You just took a couple bullets like it was nothing! What did you expect?" Ace retorted.

The brunette yelled as she charged at him again, with Ace pulling the same trick he did before. However, what he didn't expect was for Strong Suit to stop herself short and lunge at him just as he turned to face her. She slammed into him in a way that resembled a football player intercepting the receiver. The two rolled on the floor for a few seconds before Suit pinned him to the ground with a hand on his chest. Ace tried to pry it off as the teen raised a fist and started punching at his head. Ace cocked his head left and right to avoid the incoming blows, growing a bit unnerved each time Suit's fist hit the ground inches from his head. Strong Suit growled before correcting her aim, sending it right towards the boy's mouth. Widening his eyes, Ace removed his hands from Lynn's arm and fought to keep her fist held up.

Unexpected for Suit, Ace then twisted her hand in the direction it's not supposed to turn, making her yelp in pain. Grabbing her shirt collar, Ace pulled his sister to the right, making her roll until she was on her stomach. She tried getting to her feet, but Ace was quicker and jumped onto her back. Pressing his knees into her spine, he grabbed her arms and started bending them, increasing the pressure with each second.

Ace grunted as Strong Suit shifted beneath him, trying to escape his grasp. "Give up Strong Suit! I don't want to hurt you more than I need to!"

"That's funny." Suit grunted, kicking her legs a bit to try and buck him off. "You tried choking out High Card earlier!"

"She was about to kill Willy. I couldn't sit by and watch her do something all of us swore we'd never do!"

"And that's why you're an idiot for refusing to change!"

With her anger fueling her strength, Suit flipped herself over with Ace on her back. She slid along the floor to grind her brother out of his position, but in spite of the burns he was starting to feel, Ace held on like his life depended on it. The teen continued her assault, until she accidentally rammed them both headfirst into the base of a support beam. Both kids were dazed for a moment, but thanks to Lynn's thick skull, she came to her senses quicker. Feeling her brother's grip slacken, she wrestled herself out of the hold before glaring down at the dazed boy. Ace's vision had blurred out after receiving that impact to his head, but it sharpened rather quick when he felt a hand enclosed around his windpipe.

Staring back at those yellowish eyes, Ace could barely get a word out as Strong Suit started slamming him into the floor. Each time his body impacted the ground, the boy felt Suit ever so slightly tighten the grip she had on his neck. That pressure was lifted almost immediately when Suit threw him hard to floor, only to smash her feet squarely on his stomach. Ace wheezed heavily as his cries were near silent due to fighting to get oxygen in his lungs. He tried to stand but it seemed Strong Suit was done playing games. Straddling his stomach, she proceeded to beat him down, landing blow after blow to his face and chest. The 11 year old tried to shield himself with his arms, but this resulted in Suit nearly fracturing them both. The all too familiar sensation of fear began to grip the young boy as he realized he effectively lost this fight, and he didn't even have a chance to call for help despite having allies in the building. Ace's resistance slowly faded as his cries became louder with each savage blow Strong Suit dealt to him.

"P-Please, s-stop!" Ace begged before taking another hit to the nose.

"Crying will get you no where!" Strong Suit retorted before landing a hard blow directly to his eye.

Ace screamed loudly as he swore he felt his eye practically explode in its socket. His screams ceased as Suit landed a few more hits to his teeth and temple, before she smashed two fists hard onto his chest. Ace gagged a bit as he felt his ribs break on impact, feeling something foreign enter his lungs as he drew air into them.

Giving a few pants, Strong Suit stood up and kicked the boy onto his stomach. Ace coughed violently as he spat out fresh blood along with some of his teeth. He shifted his aching arms in an attempt to sit up, but could only move a few inches before he felt he couldn't push himself any further. The 11 year old let out a gasp as Strong Suit grabbed him by the back of his neck, only to cough even further due to drawing blood into his lungs.

The athletic hero checked over her brother as he hung limp in her hand, which was a tad bloody and cut due to hitting Ace's teeth. Damage to his suit was minimal, but his face was marred with bruises and specks of blood. His nose was slightly crumpled, one eye shut due to being nearly punched out with tears leaking out the other, and blood was continuously leaking from his mouth due to a combination of missing teeth as well as forcing out internal bleeding.

"You know, you look a lot like the way you did the day we beat you into paste," Suit looked down. "Except without your arms being broken. But, knowing you, you might come up with another stupid plan to get back at us." She tightened her other hand into a fist. "So, how about I just cut out the middle man and get rid of you, right here, right now? After all, you were always a failure as a leader, and a hero." The teen cocked a fist back with an evil grin taking form on her face. Her arm muscles tensed up for one last punch. "Any last words, Stinkcoln?"

Ace's body convulsed a bit as he gave choked sobs. Normally, he would've brushed off any comments about him being a failure at his duty to be a hero, but the evidence stacked against him was so strong that it was impossible to ignore. Failing to capture bad guys was one thing, but the Full House practically abandoned him and Lily over it, and in spite of gathering up new allies to try and even the odds in hopes of working something out with his other sisters, that blew up in his face too. All it did was let another villain get away and put all of Ace's friends in danger. Even _they_ may not forgive him due to his poor choices, leaving the white-haired boy to fend for himself.

The thought of being alone and feeling that he was primarily responsible for everything that occurred bore into the boy's psyche, eliminating any willpower to put up what was now considered a pointless fight. "Lynn...please..." Ace choked out in a begging tone, weakly grasping her wrist with his hand. "Don't...please don't do it..."

"And why shouldn't I?" Suit eased her grip enough to let him talk.

Ace let out another cough, getting some blood onto the girl's wrist. "You were right..."

Suit raised a brow, lowering her fist a bit. "W-What?"

"You...you and our other sisters were right..." Ace sniffled, shutting his good eye as more tears started to fall down his face. "I failed you guys as a leader...and I got my other friends in trouble for something I thought was worth fighting for..." His mouth quivered. "I probably almost got them killed tonight because of me..." Ace paused as he choked back another sob. "I...I even managed to get _Lily_ roped into all of this!" His tone began to change from being solemn to frantic. "B-But I don't want to die! I don't wanna go like Mom and Dad did! I couldn't ever think of doing that to anyone b-because I'm always reminded of them!" His body shook as more sobs left him. "I didn't want to hurt you guys, but I couldn't think of a way to avoid this!"

 _"Go ahead and finish him anyway. He's worth nothing to you now. After all, he admitted it was his fault."_ Spoke a voice that sounded much unlike Lynn's own voice. It repeated this phrase as the tomboy continued holding her fist at the ready, debating whether or not to just ignore Ace's pleas and finish the job.

However, the longer Lynn stared at the broken child in front of her, the more she was reminded of the time she was with Lincoln just a day after the mass shooting. There had never been any other time before now that Lynn had seen her brother so broken and lost. Physically of course, he was ok. Mentally...Lynn may not ever understand the true pain Lincoln felt outside of the fact they were now orphans, but unlike her brother, Lynn was spared the sight of watching your own caretakers being killed. None of the Louds were ever the same since, but Lynn knew her brother changed the most. He was more reclusive, barely talked, and just lacked any energy to do much of anything. As corny as it sounded, he was effectively a worse version of Lucy, and _she_ was more closer to her siblings due to the mental pain being too much to bear.

All of the girls tried their best to get Lincoln back on his feet, but none of them tried more than Lynn did. Call her stubborn, competitive, or what have you, but that girl had a big heart on her shoulder when it was in the right place. In a way, you could say she was probably more motherly towards Lincoln during his depression than Lori or Leni were. This dialed back to sibling levels when Lincoln appeared to be getting better (which also happened to be the very first time he stopped a crime from happening before becoming Ace Savvy), but that feeling usually remained.

Lynn lowered her fist completely as that voice in her head was all but surely tossed out. She lowered Lincoln back onto the floor, who didn't even have the energy to stand as he collapsed. He instinctively curled up as his tears and blood stained the floor, and all Lynn could do was watch. The yellowish tint in her eyes had completely vanished, giving way to their normal, hazel color. As much as the 13 year old wanted to scoop up her brother and tell him it was going to be alright, her feet were frozen on the spot. She couldn't believe that she had just beat him into the floor, then salted the wounds further by telling him he was a total failure since day one. Yet, that proof was lying at her feet, crying out to a world that probably thinks he'd be better off alone.

As the guilt started to become too much to bear, Lynn felt she had to do _something_. "Lincoln...I-"

 _BOOM!_

The teen squeezed her eyes shut as multiple explosions went off in parts of the factory. Turns out the compressor was leaking highly flammable air, which had spread around most of the building. Both kids watched in horror as the flames quickly began to spread, consuming anything in sight...

* * *

 _Back Up Top..._

Unlike most of the fights that occurred that night, the one between Deuce and Card Counter felt more like a classic sibling fight than a serious bare-knuckle brawl. Lots of hair pulling and arm biting were involved as the two became nothing more than a couple of young kids having what would normally be a childish spat. Deuce tried to use her size to her advantage, giving Card Counter a wedgie once and even a hard noogie (before the prodigy got loose by biting her arm), but the 4 year old used the definition of 'Brains over Brawn' quite well. Even if Deuce managed to pin her down, Counter always manage to break free by going for a cheap shot.

Currently, Card Counter was slapping Deuce's face with her tiny hands whilst the 7 year old tried to keep a hold on her. Deuce growled before grabbing the child's hands and holding them down, only for the little genius to spit in her eyes. The blonde shrieked in disgust, dropping Card Counter to wipe her eyes clean. Upon opening them, her vision was covered once more as Card Counter latched onto her face and started beating her head like a drum. Deuce gave muffled screams as she stumbled about on the catwalk, pulling on the back of Counter's costume to pry her off. Along the way, she stumbled over her launcher, being forced to grab one of the handrails before she completely fell over.

Deuce gave one loud scream as she grabbed the 4 year old by the waste before finally tearing her off. She cringed a bit due to Counter pulling some hair before throwing her several feet away. Card Counter grunted as she tumbled down the pathway, managing to get to her feet but landed on her butt due to being disoriented and tripping over something. Her glasses sat askew on her head, but she was still able to see what caught her foot: her Tesla Gun. Shaking her head, Card Counter fixed her glasses before scrambling to her weapon. Setting it to medium, the 4 year old aimed her weapon at Deuce, only to find the rocketeer lining up a shot with her launcher.

No one knew who pulled the trigger first, but a gas-filled rocket and an arc of electricity were flying towards each other. They collided in the middle, with the electricity enveloping the rocket and forcing its warhead to detonate prematurely. A massive cloud of gas consumed both girls, making them gag for fresh air as tears filled their eyes. Card Counter stumbled about, coughing as she ran in the opposite direction before disappearing from Deuce's sight. The blonde frantically fished for her mask, strapping it on and letting the filters do their work.

The 7 year old took several deep breaths as she leaned against the railing. "So that's what those things smell like..." Deuce panted. "And I thought...my diapers were bad..."

Suddenly, a loud explosion rocked the entire building, forcing Deuce to grip the railing for dear life. Two more explosions went off before a fire alarm blared. Looking down, Deuce's eyes widened as she could see various parts of the floor on fire. Then, part of the catwalk she was on shuddered as the fire started melting the support. Before Deuce could react, the catwalk started to give way. The 7 year old screamed in fear as she ran to a more stable part, the floor beginning to disappear beneath her feet. The immense weight of the path began to create a break where another support stood, the rails increasingly becoming more stressed as they couldn't handle the imbalance.

Just before Deuce could reach safety, the path caved beneath her feet, forcing her to grab what remained of the railing. Glancing down, the 7 year old watched as the pathway she was on disappear among the flaming wreckage below. She then felt a sudden dip as the rail she held onto began cracking, unable to support her weight. Giving a small cry, Deuce climbed as fast as she could, having just seconds before the rail detached itself.

The blonde felt herself dip again as the rail was on its last stem. Tears of fear began to leak out of her eyes as she started to think she wouldn't make it. Just as Deuce reached the end, the rail snapped off with her fingers just inches from the edge. The poor girl screamed as she started to fall freely, only to stop abruptly when she felt something grab her hand.

Looking up, Deuce could see Mad Bomber struggling to pull her up. "Don't worry!, I got ya!" He strained, gritting his teeth as he slowly wrestled her back onto solid ground. Once Deuce felt she could grab the ledge, she scrambled onto solid ground, practically hyperventilating underneath her mask while clutching her chest.

Deuce lifted her mask once she evened her breaths out. "T-Thanks..."

"Don't mention it..." Bomber panted.

"Ok...what the heck did you do?!" The blonde glared at her partner.

"I-It wasn't me! Your sister with those crystal things shot at me and made some of my mines drop!"

"Queeeeeen..." Deuce groaned. She let a gasp escape her upon a horrible realization. "Ace, Ace-sassin and Mirage were down there!" She hopped to her feet. "Come on! We gotta find them!"

On the ground floor, Night Club walked in to find a scene that almost resembled hell itself. The fires were beginning to spread quickly, incinerating anything they touched. Smoke started to fill the air, making it difficult to see or even breathe. Behind her, Wrangler, Jack, and Eight stood mouth's agape at the ensuing chaos, with the former two looking like they had been to a Running of the Bulls and got trampled on. Just minutes ago, Night Club was throwing down on the 2 boys, using her fists and occasionally her guitar to do the deed. It all stopped the moment they heard explosions and fire started creeping out the windows. Any hostility between them dissipated as they grew worried for their allies.

Hearing footsteps approaching, the group turned to see Card Counter leading Royal Flush past some fallen wreckage; both girls were covered in soot and coughing violently as they sought to clear their lungs.

Night Club ran over and guided them to the door. "Dudes! What happened?!"

"I-I don't know! I was being attacked by birds, then I managed to shoo them away. And then suddenly the whole place was on fire!"

"I know this facility has an adequate sprinkler system in the event a fire occurs, but it appears to have failed for some reason..." Card Counter added as she cleaned her glasses.

Royal Flush's pupils shrank as she recalled a particular water pipe she busted earlier to wash some grunts away. "R-Right..." She smiled nervously whilst trying to act natural.

Night Club, Eight, and Counter turned their heads to the six year old. "Dude...what did you do?..."

Flush bit her lip knowing she couldn't lie her way out of this. "O-Ok ok! I didn't know that pipe was _that_ important!"

Card Counter slapped her forehead. "We'll discuss this later. Right now we need to evacuate the others-" She paused as a large machine toppled over. "Before this facility either collapses, or worse, explodes!"

"Not so fast dudette. You guys are in no shape to be walking in there!" She glanced behind her. "Especially you three..."

Wrangler looked at Night Club as if she grew a second head. "You expect us to just sit here an' do nothin'?! That's our _friends_ in there!"

"This ain't up for talk man. I'm surprised you can even stand after what I did to you!" Night Club grabbed the bottom of her shirt and tore off a large section. As she wrapped the cloth around her nose and mouth, "If I'm not back here in 3, just get away from here as fast as you can..."

Before anyone else could voice their disapproval, the musician ran into the inferno, disappearing behind the billowing smoke. The 5 kids look amongst each other to see if anyone had a better solution, especially towards Card Counter since she had the biggest brain of the bunch. Sadly, even she was stumped. As they stared at the growing blaze, each of them silently started to pray for a miracle.

Night Club placed a hand over her eyes, looking past the flames to find any of the other heroes. The fires were mostly sticking to the machines and wood piles, but pieces were falling all over the place with fallen wreckage blocking paths that would have normally been accessible.

"Lori?...Leni?...Luan?..." Night Club called over the comms, not caring that she was using her sisters names in the open. "Lynn?! Is anyone there?!"

Static was her answer, making the brunette even more worried.

 _"Luna?...URG!"_ Came Lori's voice. It was nearly quiet and sounded like she was in extreme pain.

"Lori?! Where are you?!"

 _"To the right of the big boiler...I have Leni with me, but she's not waking up!..."_

"Hang on sis, I'm comin'!" Luna stated firmly before looking around.

She spotted a two story boiler surrounded by flaming wreckage, and the boiler itself wasn't looking too well either. The brunette could see steam coming out parts of the siding, and there was a noticeable bulge around its center. Luna gave an audible gulp, knowing that thing was looking to blow from all the intense heat. She ran towards the right of the machine, sweat pouring down her forehead as the heat was becoming increasingly uncomfortable by the second.

"Lori?!" Luna called out, twisting her head left and right frantically. "Lori?!"

"Over here!" Another voice called out, followed by ravaged coughing.

Luna followed the sound until she was met with a horrid sight. Lori was propped against a concrete block, blood smeared across the front of her suit as she held her hand over her abdomen. Her face was paler than usual, and way she was breathing and how her body shook clued Luna in on how much pain she must be feeling right now. From what Luna could see, there were bloody holes in both her legs while more blood seemed to pour out from under her hand. Next to her, Leni lied on the ground unconscious, a large bruise covering her forehead with a trickle of blood running down her face.

Luna ran over, kneeling next to the blonde. "W-What happened to you?!"

Lori took a deep breath. "That girl...she's really dangerous with those guns." Her hand went slack a bit. Luna looked down and saw the real reason for all the blood: there were at least 5 holes in her stomach.

"D-Don't worry sis. I'll get you outta here." The musician replied, trying to fight back tears.

Lori shook her head. "No...t-take Leni. I literally can't move much..."

Luna knitted her brows together. "Don't go sayin' that! I'll drag your butt out of here if I have to!"

"Luna?" Another voice called out. Lori looked past Luna as the other turned, spotting Luan and some boy with curly red hair dressed in a tux. The tux itself was torn a bit and the boy sported a black eye. Otherwise, he still looked physically able. The comedian let out a gasp upon seeing the state her sisters were in.

"Thank God..." Luna muttered. "You two grab Leni! I'll help Lori."

"Wait, where's everybody else?!" Mirage asked.

"Two of your guys are outside, and so are most of my younger sisters." Luna bit her lip as more dread overcame her. "But I don't know where Lola or Lynn are!"

"What about Lincoln?!" Mirage spat as he glared daggers at the girls. "Don't you guys at least _care_ about your brother?! Or your _other_ sister for that matter?!" Static cut in on his receiver, but he could barely make out a voice. "On second thought, don't answer. You clearly don't after all you've done..." The redhead tapped his comms.

Luan opened her mouth as she pointed an accusing finger at Mirage, but Luna cut her off. "We'll settle this later, now shut up and help!"

"Anyone there?" Mirage whispered.

 _"Please don't tell me you're still in there Rusty..."_ Came Jack's worried voice.

"Wait, we stopped using our hero names?" Rusty asked as he grabbed Leni's legs while Luan grabbed her arms.

Luna helped Lori to her feet; the oldest Loud giving pained cries as she moved, small amounts of blood leaking out of her injuries.

 _"That ain't gonna matter if you're roasted like a turkey!"_ Liam shouted.

"Ok ok, yeah I'm still in here! The girl with the clown costume was chasing me, but then all this started and-" Rusty paused. "Oh crap...Lily? Zach?! Lincoln?!"

 _"We're fine..."_ Came Lily's muffled voice. _"Found Ronnie Anne and Lola; I think both of them fought each other to a standstill since Ronnie has a shard in her leg and Lola has a bad shoulder..."_

 _"We looked around but don't know where Lincoln is..."_ Zach added. A loud jolt of static cut through the line as something toppled over. _"And I don't know if we have enough time to do a second check!"_

"So no one knows where _either_ of them are?!" A tense silence followed, giving Rusty the answered he dreaded. "Well that's just _perfect!_ "

The group heard a metallic groan followed by something bursting open. They turned to the boiler, which now appeared to have swelled more in size and had a larger steam vent coming out from the bolt holes that kept a pipe in place.

"That things looks to blow its top!" Luan shuddered nervously.

"Come on, let's move!" Luna ordered, helping Lori limp back in the direction she came from.

"But what about-!" Rusty started.

"THERE'S NO TIME! GO!"

Luan and Rusty looked at one another before following the other two with haste, carrying an unconscious Leni between them. It took a bit longer to reach the exit since Luna's original path was blocked off by a falling support that was covered in flames. It was possibly closest any of them experienced walking through hell: extreme heat sucking them dry of moisture, air thick with so much smoke it was impossible to breathe, falling debris and machines exploding all around...

There was some sense of bliss seeing that the others managed to make it out alive, although it was becoming increasingly apparent that both teams did a number on each other; it still couldn't overcome the sinking feeling each and every one of them had: leaving a teammate to die. Despite their attempts to reach either Lynn or Lincoln over their radios, only silence was there to comfort them.

Fearing the worst, no one spoke a word as they watched the flames continue to consume the factory until it was clear they'd have to clear the area; there was little doubt that the police and fire department were already notified, especially when the faint sound of sirens could be heard. Besides, what was there to say? They can blame each other all they want, but at the end of the day, each of them bore some fault in what occurred tonight.

One by one, everyone started to leave. The oldest siblings went first as Lori needed urgent care and Leni needed to be looked at as she was likely comatose. Clyde and Liam had to help Ronnie Anne as she couldn't walk without support; the sharpshooter did her best to hide her tears, even though everyone could see her on the verge of crying. Lana could barely move as she felt she was the sole reason the fire was able to get out of control, and Lola had to tug her away from the burning building. Lisa checked Lucy's ears to see if they were fixable before tugging her along, with the emo being quieter than normal. She may not be able to hear much, but with a quick headcount, she knew what everyone else was feeling.

The only ones that remained were Lily, Zach, and Rusty. Lily looked on as the orange flames licked the top of the exit door, giving only a sparing glance at the wreckage on the inside before staring at the ground. The 7 year old took a shaky breath before biting her lower lip, hot tears leaking out of her eyes before eventually dropping to the ground. The only thing running through her mind was what her brother strived to do. All that Lincoln wanted was to do what's right and preserve justice, and now he's gone because of a family spat gone wrong. Not only that, one of her sisters likely died with him.

Zach placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, only for Lily to rudely brush him off. Understandable, since it _was_ his bombs that started the fire. The two redheads felt it would be best to give her space, opting to head back to their hideout. Lily sniffled, wiping snot and tears off her face in spite of more coming out. As she started to leave, she gave one last look at what would become her brother and sister's grave; that is, until she spotted something coming out of the flames and running towards her.

Lily's mouth parted a little, rubbing her eyes to make sure she wasn't imagining things. "Lincoln?..."

As the figure got closer, Lily's eyes widened in both surprise and relief. Giving labored breaths, Lynn was hauling ass towards the exit, carrying Lincoln in her arms as if he was a baby. Both of them had some burns covering parts of their bodies, but Lincoln looked much better off than Lynn. Her headband was gone, her sleeves and pants were singed, and her arms were practically bathed in red. In comparison, Lincoln only had his cape missing along with parts of his hair burned. And that's without going into the numerous wounds Lynn herself inflicted on him.

Sadly, their escape became more complicated as the boiler near the center of the factory started going critical, its casing no longer able to hold back the building pressure. It exploded with a deafening sound, a massive fireball taking its place as it blew out the roof and several other support structures around it. Lily stumbled back as the shock wave hit her, with the sound attracting the attention of the others. Upon noticing the two missing Louds, they immediately about-faced and ran back to help.

Lynn momentarily fell to her knees immediately after the blast, making sure she didn't drop her brother before breaking into another sprint. Sections of the roof were starting to come down now, forcing Lynn to constantly change directions when a massive piece blocked her path. Once she was 70 yards from the exit, Lynn pushed herself to her limits, growling in frustration in spite of her tired state. She didn't come this far to die now, and Death couldn't have either of them.

Lincoln, who had been partially unconscious for much of the ride, was jostled awake after Lynn made a sharp turn. Looking towards their front, he saw the rest of the Full House and his team waiting for them just beyond the main door, ushering Lynn to hurry. Unfortunately, he also had to bear witness to a flaming section of the roof begin to collapse just above their only exit. Everyone started screaming in terror as the roof began to fall towards the duo, and Lincoln could only watch in horror as it was merely feet from crushing him and Lynn right as they reached safety...

* * *

Lincoln let out a sharp gasp as he bolted upright in the bed. A cold sweat drenched his entire body as he took several deep, loud breaths. Upon recognizing the nightstands, outline of the closet door and the one leading to the hallway, the Loud closed his mouth to steady his breathing before lying back on the mattress.

"What...what was that?..." Lincoln asked himself, his breathing filling up the otherwise silent room. "I know it was a dream...certainly wasn't a nightmare, or mostly...I don't even know what I could call that..." He twitched the fingers of his left hand, bringing his cast up slightly to glance at it. "I thought Lynn was gonna make it end how all the others did...but she didn't, just like how I thought she was gonna try something at lunch." Putting his cast down and staring at the ceiling, "She...she even tried to save me when she could've just left me behind..."

Lincoln glanced at the clock on the nightstand to his left. He gave a half-lidded stare. "Four in the morning...great..."

He shifted in the bed until he sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Man, my head is acting crazy..." The boy yawned, swinging his feet over the edge before standing up. He stretched until he felt the joints in his arms and back give satisfying pops. "Mom and dad were...gone...even though I know they're fine and at home. I even talked with them yesterday when they called..." Lincoln shuffled to the door, opening it and glancing down both ends. Seems none of the McBrides had been awakened by his screaming. Well, he didn't scream when he woke up, but the Loud hoped he didn't in his sleep.

He walked past Clyde's room, hearing muffled sounds as the nerdy child talked in his sleep. Lincoln didn't pickup exactly what he was saying, but he could've swore he uttered a classmate's name in a heavenly tone. Lincoln made it to the living room, flopping on the couch and switched the TV on with the remote. Since he wouldn't go to sleep anytime soon, might as well pick something other than staring at the ceiling til 6.

The early morning news that was shown didn't interest Lincoln in the slightest, but the background noise did help him think. A frown dawned his face as he thought over everything that happened in his dream. In spite of the fact it didn't end with his death, it left his brain swimming in a sea of confusion that didn't seem to have an end in sight. Part of Lincoln wished he didn't wake up so soon, but at the same time, he was too scared to find out what happened next. It also didn't give much of an answer about how he could approach one of his siblings as he didn't wish to fight them, nor cause any trouble.

"I hope Dr. Lopez can explain this better when I talk to her next time...and I still don't know which sister to pick..." Lincoln scratched his hair. "Although..." He squinted his eyes in thought. "If Lynn didn't do anything last time...and I just dreamed about her saving me..." Lincoln raised a brow. "That dream may have been onto something..."

 **A/N: This is likely the longest chapter I've ever made, and served as a test for me to see if I can properly chain fighting scenes together. As you may have concluded, both teams just about fought each other to a stand still, with neither side completely wiped out. You might even say the Full House got away with fewer injuries, but key members were still taken out, which will blunt their effectiveness for a while. Here's a list of what happened to each hero:**

 **Full House**

 **Lori: Suffered multiple gunshot wounds to her legs and stomach**

 **Leni: Likely comatose after sustaining a serious head injury**

 **Luna: Unscathed**

 **Luan: Unscathed**

 **Lynn: Status unknown**

 **Lucy: Hearing damage due to friendly fire**

 **Lola: Bullet to the shoulder and crown broken**

 **Lana: Minor injuries from birds**

 **Lisa: Minor injuries**

 **Ace's Gang**

 **Lincoln: Status unknown**

 **Lily: Minor injuries**

 **Ronnie Anne: Shard in a leg and hand**

 **Rusty: Relatively minor injuries**

 **Clyde: Moderate injuries**

 **Liam: Moderate injuries**

 **Zach: Largely unscathed**

 **This also goes to show just how destructive a team of heroes can be when fighting each other, as well as conflicts of ideals on what it truly means to be heroic. Both sides aren't wrong, cause sometimes it can be better off to kill a villain if they present _that_ much of a threat to society. But at the same time, people can become untrusting of a hero if they resort to killing too often. It's a rather complicated game that I won't go further into. However, it was mentioned that two of the girls had a different shade of eye color. Before anyone asks, no, they aren't clones; it does hint that there's something else going on behind the scenes though.**

 **Anyway, even though the dream was rather confusing for Lincoln and didn't provide an answer as to how he should go about interacting with his sisters, he is leaning towards Lynn due to her lack of hostility. But, the real question is, will he be able to find the courage to speak to her on his own? Or will he have to enlist the help of his therapist?**


	33. Emotional Shift

**A/N: Glad to see most enjoyed the special chapter that occurred previously, with some even making comparisons to Marvel's Civil War. Of course, I watched the movie, but didn't use it as a source when making that entire thing. Naturally, this means the next dream should be just as interesting, but that will take a back seat for the time being. Also, for anyone who claims they didn't get a warning that much of the chapter was a dream sequence, you obviously didn't see the hint in the chapter title nor read the** ** _BOLDED_** **note at the beginning of the chapter before anything started, so their complaints are void. They know who they are...**

 **Anyways, with Lincoln growing dead set on making some kind of contact with his sister, we'll see if he is able to apply the actions in his dreams to reality; though, he may find that it is much harder than he believes.**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

Clyde opened his bedroom door with a yawn, rubbing one eye underneath his glasses with the other pressed along the wall as he shuffled towards the kitchen. Blinking out of his left eye, the boy gave a content sigh to another well-rested night; although it did leave him to be a little befuddled. It wasn't his usual fantasy of having a nice date with Lori, which (if he had to be honest with himself) stopped occuring ever since Lincoln revealed what happened with his sisters. Instead, the girl in his dreams...Clyde couldn't remember her name too well. He knew it was someone in their grade, but he couldn't place the name. Maybe it was Haiku? After all, they still chatted from time to time ever since they met each other at the dance. Or, maybe it was that other girl that came up to him before running off as it seemed like she couldn't say anything. Not that Clyde didn't think she wasn't cute, but he hardly knew much of anything about her.

 _"Maybe I can ask Linc-"_ Clyde paused mid-thought as he noticed the guest room's door was cracked open. Raising a brow, the nerdy child peeked inside to find the bed sheets having been left strewn atop the mattress. "Oookay? Lincoln didn't wake me up if he had another nightmare..." Clyde walked in and checked the closet, finding nothing but hung clothes and shoes neatly paired on the floor. "And he's not hiding in the closet again..."

A faint sound of applause reached Clyde's ears, making him glance back at the hallway. Continuing down the hall, Clyde came into the living room and spotted a rerun of Dessert Storm on the TV. He was about to voice his confusion before spotting Lincoln snoring on the couch; the remote was lightly grasped in his hand as a trail of drool left his mouth.

"Sure...I'll have another piece..." Lincoln muttered in his sleep.

Clyde had to resist the urge to chuckle. "Well, at least he's not having one of _those_ dreams." Looking at the clock, the near-sighted boy knew he'd have to deal with the displeasure of pulling Lincoln out of his food dream. Clyde shuffled over to the couch and started tapping the boy's shoulder. "Hey buddy, you gotta get up."

Lincoln groaned and weakly shooed his hand away. Clyde was about to try something different when Cleopawtra meowed her presence, walking over from the kitchen. She brushed against her owner's legs, which the boy smiled and gently stroked the back of her neck. He started to wonder where Nepurrtiti was, but figured she was still asleep. The orange cat purred before noticing Lincoln on the couch. She walked over and jumped onto the seat, sniffing his cast arm for a few seconds. The Loud was completely unaware of what was going on until he felt a small weight pressing on his legs and chest, followed by something nuzzling and licking his face.

Lincoln scrunched up his face a bit as he was pulled from whatever dream he currently had, one eye creaking open just enough to see Clyde's pet nibbling at his cast. Lincoln smiled a bit before scratching Cleopawtra behind her ears, to which the cat purred and licked his fingers.

"I wish I had my camera." Clyde chuckled, making Lincoln open his eyes fully and stare at him. "Guess you slept well last night."

Lincoln's smile faltered a bit. "Sort of..." His voice trailed off. "While I was eating chocolate with Ronnie-" The boy slapped a hand over his mouth before he finished that sentence, a red hue forming across his face.

Clyde gave a knowing smirk. "Go on?" He spoke in a teasing way.

"A-Anyway, I had a whole different dream earlier." Lincoln replied as he sat up straight. "It was so...real, and kinda scary..."

Clyde's mouth started to grow into a frown. "What happened? Was it as bad as the others?"

Lincoln shook his head. "Well...not really. I'd say it was more..." He paused, raddling his brain to find the proper phrase. "More like both sides nearly dealt each other in."

" _Dealt each other in_?" Clyde repeated, growing even more confused. As he recalled the last few themed dreams Lincoln told him about, Clyde's eyes almost popped out past the lenses as a gasp escaped him. "You actually fought back?!"

Lincoln nodded. "It didn't end well..." He noticed the time and got up, heading back to his room.

Clyde followed, eager to get more answers. "So how'd it go? You didn't wake us up in the middle of the night if it wasn't that bad."

"That's because I'm still confused about it myself." Lincoln pushed the door open, making a beeline for the closet. "I'll tell you more on our way to school." He reached in and pulled out one of his orange polos. "Just a heads up buddy: It's gonna be a _long_ story to get through."

"Oh," Clyde waved his hand dismissively, "It can't be _that_ long, right?"

* * *

Oh how wrong he was...

Lincoln took his time going over every detail of his Ace Savvy dream, to the point Clyde wondered if he was telling a whole different story altogether. Ever since the two left the McBride's house, Lincoln just talked and talked and talked from start to finish; he didn't even bother stopping during their two class periods, nearly getting them into trouble for being disruptive. If anything, Clyde would say that the teacher was being a bit hypocritical because, being the true friend he was, Clyde hung onto every word as Lincoln spoke about the complex scenario his brain painted for him. However, it still got long enough to where Clyde had to take notes just to keep himself on track. The rest of their friends had gotten in on the action too once lunch time rolled in, winding up in a state of shock whilst Clyde continued his note taking; part of this was due to being unaware of Lincoln making heroic personas of just about everyone, so the spectacled boy wanted to list everything he could and ask on it later.

"And then..." Lincoln stopped himself for a moment, wiping a couple tears from his eyes as he just finished recalling the savage beatdown Strong Suit gave Ace. "The whole place started catching fire because the bombs that fell from Mad Bomber's backpack had went off."

"Hold on," Zach cut in, tilting his head to the side slightly in confusion. "How did I end up liking explosions again?"

"Shhh!" Rusty frowned at the shorter redhead. "Let him finish man."

No one said anything after, which Lincoln took as a sign to continue. "At that point, everyone just stopped fighting each other and focused on making sure we made it out alive. And at that point," The Loud grimaced a bit, "It was easy to tell just how bad both teams damaged each other...L-Lori was shot multiple times," Ronnie Anne looked a bit crestfallen, "Leni was unconscious," Zach winced a bit, "Luna and Luan weren't too bad, but they had to help Lori and Leni escape since they couldn't do it on their own. Lucy was partially deaf I think thanks to Luna, Lola took a nasty bullet to the shoulder and her crown was destroyed..." Lincoln drew in a breath through his nose. "Lana was ok too, and Lisa was mostly ok." He then glanced at all of his friends. "But you guys weren't any better..."

"How so?" Liam asked, sipping a drink from his soda can.

"For starters," Lincoln pointed to both Liam and Clyde, "You guys were practically getting your butts handed to you by Luna," He pointed to Rusty, "Luan finally caught up to you, but I guess she didn't hurt you too much."

Rusty gave a light chortle. "Guess my charms managed to sweet talk her."

Everyone else looked amongst each other before shaking their heads, with Liam making a deadpanned look before slapping his palm against his face in annoyance and Lincoln looking a bit squeamish for that image being put into his head.

It took a couple minutes before the Loud managed to get his thoughts together. Upon pointing to Ronnie Anne, she spoke for him. "I already know I'd have the worst of it since you already said I took a crystal, or whatever, to my leg and hand..." The tomboy nervously rubbed her shin with one of her feet. "But what about _you_ though? And for that matter, Lynn and...who else?"

"Oh, right. Lily didn't get hurt too much when she fought Lisa. As for me and Lynn..." Lincoln bit his lip, the others sitting at the edge of their seats in anticipation. "She...she was carrying me towards the exit. I thought that..." The boy swallowed a little, his eyes starting to redden a little as he remembered one important detail he accidentally left out. "I thought after she beat me down, she was going to kill me...and make my dream end just like all the others..." The boy sniffled a little. "I begged her not to do it since I realized just about everything she said was true..." A couple more tears slid down his face. A few of his friends opened their mouths to voice their opinions, but Lincoln continued. "I thought I should've stood up for what I believed was right; and nearly got everyone killed for it..."

Lincoln took a second to clean his face again. "But...then she just let me go and watched me lie there on the floor. When the whole factory started to catch fire, I don't know what was going through her mind, but she just picked me up and started running towards the loading area. Everyone else thought we had died, but Lily was the first to notice us."

Lincoln twiddled with the fork in his hand. "Lynn took a lot of burns just trying to keep me safe, but I woke up when part of the ceiling started coming down on us, so I don't even know if we really made it..."

"Hmmm." Everyone turned their attention to Clyde, who tapped his chin with his pen. "Do you think this had anything to do with what happened yesterday?"

The Loud gave a light shrug. "Maybe? I mean, Lynn left me thinking about a whole lot of things. I was thinking that maybe we could," He gave a short pause, somewhat unable to believe what he was about to say. "Approach her as a group so I could talk to her, but after last night...I'm not certain if that's a good idea. Soooo...I think I'd just have to talk to her alone..."

Liam gave an uneasy look at the Loud. "You sure that's a good idea? You just said that she beat you up in yer head when she managed to corner ya."

"She did..." Lincoln lightly tossed the plastic fork onto the tray. "But she also tried to save us both instead of leaving me behind."

"Did you ask Dr. Lopez if she could arrange a meeting between you guys?" Clyde added.

The Loud gave a quick nod. "That's my backup plan if this one doesn't work."

"You know we're gonna have your back no matter what you do, right?" Ronalda chimed in, to which thy boys voiced their own approval. "Besides, if you decide to go solo, we can still hide around nearby."

"True, but I also don't want to risk making her nervous."

"She's made you nervous just for being around you," The tomboy shrugged, taking a bite of her sub. "So I'd say you'd both be even."

"Speaking of which, are you gonna get _that_ ," Rusty pointed at Lincoln's cast, "Removed any time soon?"

Lincoln moved his left elbow a bit. While it still felt somewhat sore, that was nothing compared to the sheer pain he experienced when it was first broken. Now that he thought about it, the Loud recalled that he hadn't had to take his pain medicine for almost two weeks now. The doctor said it could take months, but there was a chance he may have been exaggerating. Lincoln knew Lynn broke parts of her arm, including the elbow, on an irregular basis; yet, while she was supposed to wear a cast or brace for a few weeks would be cut down to 7 or 8 days at best. Who knows, maybe Lynn just had some weird healing factor that Lincoln read about in his comics. Still, he ought to ask his doctor when the cast will come off; it felt like he was carrying dead weight with his arm bent in the same position for 14 days straight.

"Last time I was checked by the hospital, they said I'd have to wear it for a couple weeks. I guess it might be time to dump it since I don't really feel much pain or anything on my elbow."

"Now remember Lincoln, just because the cast is off, doesn't mean your arm is fully healed. Remember the time I sprained my wrist and had to have that brace for a week?" Clyde told them, to which the white-haired child nodded. Clyde massaged a spot near the middle of his arm. "I still can't twist it all the way without feeling _something_ aching."

Lincoln raised a brow. "But that was _months_ ago."

"Same point. You'll likely have a dud elbow for longer than you think."

"Way to crush his dreams Mcbride…" Ronalda half-joked, very familiar with her own list of injuries.

"Pshh-shaw, that's _nothing_. Remember the time I got mah face kicked in by mah goat cuz I accidentally on its tail too hard?" Liam rubbed his nose. "This darn thing still aches somethin' fierce if someone tries to twist it."

Zach stifled a laugh. "Really?" He reached over and grabbed the bridge of Liam's nose, giving it a light twist to the left. The farm boy gritted his teeth as a not-so-dull ache coursed through his face before he slapped the redhead's hand away.

Pretty soon, the table came alive with the group discussing what kind of injuries they attained either from stupid stunts or pure accidents. Lincoln couldn't stop the little smile that appeared on his lips. So far, Ronnie Anne and Clyde were beating the others with skateboard stunts gone wrong and coincidental accidents respectively; Lincoln himself thought he might trump all of them with the numerous incidents he had dealt with, not counting the bodily harm he endured from most of his sisters a little over a month ago. However, he decided not to dwell on that and let his friends share their own tales; it felt nice to hear odd competitions like these once in a while.

Still, it did little to calm the sinking feeling Lincoln had in his stomach, along with a moderate chill creeping up his spine. The Loud had a good grasp of Lynn's Tuesday schedule, and the short amount of free time she had would be approaching soon.

* * *

Almost an hour later, one certain brunette with an affinity for sports exited the doors to the gym with a bag slung over her shoulder. Today, Lynn wore a simple black T-shirt with white shorts, her hair flowing down to her upper back as it wasn't in its usual ponytail; she had been in such a rush due to waking up late that she simply decided to brush it til' it looked decent. A few drops of sweat covered Lynn's forehead as she evened out her breaths, taking one, long frustrated sigh as she trudged through the playground; running multiple laps around the gym was usually trivial for someone like her, especially when you can overlap the class more than 3 times. However, and Lynn hated to admit it to herself, she had been out of shape for the past few weeks. Although she quit participating in sports ever since Lincoln was first admitted to the hospital, the athlete still found jogging as a way to de-stress and mentally monologue about her family's problems; this often made her slow to a steady walk whilst reminiscing about the fun times Lynn used to have with her brother, until Lynn smacked face first into a road sign or telephone pole.

Unfortunately, Lynn never had much of a chance to do her usual runs as of late due to school work becoming a bit more tedious and working with her sisters on regaining Lincoln's trust.

"Man, I was slow as heck today..." The teen groaned, guiding herself past some classmates playing tetherball. "I shouldn't be mulling around the middle of the class, especially with those weird stares they keep giving me." Spotting an empty bench, Lynn dropped her bag on the seat before plopping herself right next to it. Giving another sigh, "At least I'm not being called "She-Hulk" anymore."

While somewhat of a reference to the actual character, Lynn knew those in the same grade were targeting her for her temperament and strength. Polly Pain used it once before promptly ending her friendship with Lynn, and the name stuck for a couple weeks since. It noticeably died out when Lincoln came back to school, but Lynn couldn't tell whether it was because of that or everyone else finally grew enough brains to stop caring. Either way, it was a stroke of good will, since Lynn thought she'd no doubt give a few hecklers a reason for her to 'hulk' out.

The brunette unzipped her bag, pulling out meatball sub wrapped in foil. Pretty easy to make since there were some meatballs left after dinner; all she needed was some bread and instant-lunch. She undid the wrapping and bit into the sandwich, taking a moment to savor the taste and the chance to temporarily ignore world as it was. Lynn huffed a little, feeling content as the first chunk sat in her gut before taking another bite. She was completely unaware that she was being watched from afar by a snow-haired child trying to keep his nerves in check.

Lincoln rubbed his arm a little as he continued to stare at his sister from his spot by a slide. His legs shook every few seconds like they'd give way at any moment, being in sync with his shaky breaths. The boy flinched a bit as he whipped his head to the slide, watching it vibrate strongly as another student had their few seconds of enjoyment. He wasn't by himself either; Rusty had a hand leaning against the underside, a bored expression on his face, whilst Zach drew some lettering in the wooden chips along the ground with a stick. Unfortunately, they were the only two guys who were able to help the Loud as Ronnie Anne was busy taking a test and Liam and Clyde were in the middle of a project.

"So, not to rush ya or anything man, but..." Rusty spoke as he rubbed some dirt off one of his fingers, "Are you gonna go and talk with her? We've been standing here for 5 minutes, and I don't think Ms. J is gonna buy the whole _bathroom_ excuse this time."

"I-I'm working on it..." Lincoln stuttered, shifting on the spot. "Dang it...I thought this would be easy..." He muttered to himself.

"Well, why did think _we're_ here?" The tall redhead smirked, standing up straight. He started walking out from their hiding spot. "I'll just go and introduce us, then-" He was cut short when Lincoln grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him in.

"No, you're not." Lincoln said sternly.

Rusty glared at the Loud. "Come on Lincoln! We agreed to come help you with this since everyone else is busy, but we can't stay out here for too long. I don't wanna get another detention slip for nothing..."

"I know, I know..." Lincoln sighed. "I wanna to try and do _something,_ but whenever I see my sisters...I just freeze up ok?" The Loud looked back towards Lynn, who was halfway done with her sandwich. "I don't know if she's gonna hurt me again, if something in my dreams might actually come true, or..."

"She didn't do anything yesterday, so why would she now?" Zach pointed out.

"Yeah, and you said she saved you, _in your dreams._ " Rusty added.

"So, if she isn't doing anything besides sitting there, you can at least walk up to her and say 'hi', right?" Zach raised a brow. "It'll be short, but it ain't like you can't talk to her later. Besides, you might even get used to being around her again by playing the short game."

Lincoln stayed silent as he contemplated this. He was too focused on trying to get answers to his dreams and what was really going on with his sisters, that he hadn't even considered a simple greeting. If he could sit near Lynn for 15 minutes, surely it wouldn't hurt to say 'Hi' for two seconds.

 _"Then again..."_ Lincoln thought to himself as his lips curled into a frown, _"Knowing my sisters, nothing is ever_ simple _with them_. _They'll always want something..."_ He recalled yesterday's surprise visit once more, watching as Lynn formed a glare and started waving her hand in a random pattern around her lunch, likely swatting at a fly. _"Or...maybe I don't really know my sisters at all. Lynn still has her hair down, kinda messy too...and I haven't seen my other 4 sisters in WEEKS."_ Lincoln furrowed his brows. _"Now that I think about it, Lori hadn't texted me since that last message I sent..."_

Lincoln took a deep, calm breath and exhaled slowly. _"This really is something I'll have to do on my own...I won't always have my friends around to help me, even if they say they will. Maybe my sisters just weren't thinking straight."_ He stared at the ground in sadness. _"Like I wasn't the day I kept blabbing those dumb secrets. And_..." The events of his last dream filled his mind. _"I don't want to drag them into another bad situation. That would make me feel even_ worse... _"_

The Loud was pulled from his thoughts when someone tapped his shoulder. He raised a brow at Rusty.

"You ok dude? You were spacing out there."

"Yeah, yeah..." Lincoln nodded. He allowed himself a short pause before continuing. "This might sound awkward but...why don't you guys head back to class? I'll handle this myself." The boy spoke in a firm tone, jerking his thumb in his sister's direction.

Both redheads glanced at each other before giving Lincoln a quizzical look. "You sure? Cause you wouldn't march over there even with us being here."

"D-Don't worry about it." Lincoln tried to put them at ease, though his confidence was beginning to falter. "I _HAVE_ to do this...if I don't, then I won't know anything..."

Rusty and Zach didn't look too convinced, but they didn't want to ruin this for Lincoln if he was trying to be strong on his own. "We'll try to keep ya covered from Ms. J. No promises though." Rusty stated before they left.

"Call us if you need backup!" Zach shouted, his voice getting a bit distorted from the ambient noise of the playground.

Lincoln watched his friends, and potential backup, run back to the building for a few seconds before redirecting his attention to his sporty sister. Lynn munched on the last piece of her sandwich whilst balling up the used foil and tossing it into a nearby trash can, without leaving her seat; it landed almost dead center in the opening. Fearing that he may lose his chance, Lincoln pursed his lips into a thin line before coming out into the sunlight.

"Ok Lincoln, you can do this..." He muttered to himself. "All you gotta do is walk up to her, say hi, and...try, not to let it drag on for too long..." The air of confidence he had faltered a bit at that last sentence. Nonetheless, the Loud boy curled his hand into a fist, narrowed his eyes slightly in a show of determination, and with a steady breath, he started at an even pace towards the athlete.

Brushing past some of the older students, Lincoln was a bit relieved that Lynn hadn't moved from her spot yet; she had her eyes glued to her phone. He was certain that if she happened to look up, he would definitely be spotted; sometimes he hated how much his hair made him stand out, unless it was winter.

 _"Ok...so far so good...she hasn't noticed me yet, but that shouldn't be a problem."_ The 11 year old spoke inwardly. As he got within 15 yards of Lynn's bench, he noticed there was a lack of people sitting between him and his occupied sister. A few beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he stepped into no-man's land. _"O-Ok, there's no cover for me r-right now...but it shouldn't be too bad...right?"_

Lincoln's breath started to become uneven as he moved closer, slowing himself to a shuffle as he continued on. He could feel his heart begin to beat faster as the distance closed, his legs becoming a little wobbly as the boy found it hard to contain the shivers coursing though his body. Lynn suddenly looked to her left, making Lincoln freeze like a deer caught in headlights. He saw her lips move into a small smile as she greeted someone, which made Lincoln a little confused. Upon following Lynn's gaze, the boy felt as if his heart dropped down into his stomach, his eyes becoming the size of dinner plates while his pupils shrank.

Luan walked up to Lynn as she returned her greeting, taking a seat next to her younger sister. She was dressed in her usual blouse (minus the joke flower), and unlike the last time Lincoln saw her, the comedian had her hair fixed in its usual style. They started chatting with each other, completely oblivious to the fact their brother was within walking distance.

 _"W-Why is Luan here?...She looks happy right now, b-but...what about that meeting last week? Did Lynn call her here?..."_ Lincoln looked between his two sisters, confusion quite evident on his face. He bit his lip as he suddenly wished he hadn't sent his friends away. _"What if...what if Lynn_ knew _I was coming out here? But, she couldn't have known unless..."_ Lincoln let a gasp escape him. _"WHAT IF THIS WAS ALL A TRAP?! Lynn was probably stalking me this whole time!"_

The boy whirled his head around frantically to spot any of his other sisters, his rapid breathing becoming more uneven by the second. None of his other siblings were in sight, and Lincoln was sure he'd be able to spot them easily since they were terrible at picking hiding spots. Or, they could be waiting for him to get closer to Lynn and Luan before springing their trap...

Without a word, Lincoln immediately back pedaled into the crowd of students, feeling like a total idiot for sending his friends away when they had a perfect opportunity to help him.

Lynn felt a chill run down her spine before looking out at the playground. Luan raised a brow at her sister's sudden jolt. "You ok?"

Lynn gave an uneasy stare at the crowd of students going every which way and doing whatever they liked. "You ever get that feeling you were being watched?..."

Lincoln looked behind him in case his sisters took notice. Upon seeing that Lynn was staring in his direction, Lincoln's blood ran cold before he broke into a full sprint. He nearly bumped into a few other students, gaining the ire of the older middle schoolers before the boy finally reached the safety of one of the school entrances. Lincoln didn't stop as soon as he got through the doors, continuing to run through the halls and taking sudden turns into parts of the school he wasn't too familiar with as a precaution in case he was being followed. With his lungs burning for air, the boy's pace slowed to a crawl before planting a hand on the wall for support. Lincoln gave exhausted pants as his ears rang a bit from his heart beating rapidly. The beats slowly died down upon recognizing the body was no longer in motion.

The 11 year old gave a weary eye at his surroundings before finally letting himself slide to the floor. He brought his knees to his chest, rocking a little on the spot as a sense of dread kept flowing through him. "I'm such an idiot...why did I think I could handle this by myself?..." Lincoln chided himself in a broken voice. "...I could've used my friends' help, b-but I turned them down...then I ended up blowing it on my own, just like in my dreams!" Stray tears of anger and frustration poured down his cheeks along with light sniffles coming from his nose.

A solid buzz went off in Lincoln's pocket, temporarily pulling him from his self-deprecation. Fishing out his phone with a shaky hand, Lincoln pressed the power button to see there was a text from Clyde.

 _[Dude, where are you? Ms. Johnson is about to send a hall monitor]_

Lincoln glanced at the floor for a bit before closing the message out. He went to his contacts to find a certain number, hastily scrolling down the list before dialing it in. Lincoln put the phone to his ear as the dial tone began to ring.

 _"Dr. Lopez, how may I help you?"_ Came the woman's calm, business-like voice.

"Mrs. Lopez?..." Lincoln replied while doing his best to make his own voice sound clearer.

 _"Lincoln?"_ Miranda answered, dropping the professionalism in clear concern. _"What's wrong?"_

"I need..." The boy paused for a moment to clear his eyes. "I need help..."

* * *

If you were just a random person who told Lynn she'd be the first person to talk to her brother in a one-on-one meeting, she'd most likely give you a scowl and tell you to go screw yourself; there was no way Lincoln would purposely arrange something like that on his own, and the Loud sisters already had their next plan set in motion on getting Lincoln to at least be less fearful of their presence. Luan's job was to approach Lincoln in a manner that wouldn't spook him and try to start up some small talk. There were some concerns about how her overall height could intimidate him (while unknowingly making Lynn self-conscious about her own), but the girls hoped the friendly vibe she would give could keep their brother calm.

However, that 'vibe' was a bit debatable if you knew Luan's habit of pulling extreme pranks, especially when April Fools rolled around; everyone in the house made a mental note not to bring up that certain holiday as the comedian still buckled under the guilt she had for the torment she had been causing to everyone. However, Luan knew she'd have to steel her nerves when it came to Lincoln; last April Fools Day was something that she knew would be fresh in his mind, especially after she outright admitted she made him go through all that hell and expected Ronnie Anne to finish the job when she came over. And _she_ was the one who invited Ronnie Anne over the day before everything took place.

Talk about overkill...and Luan was certain that if Lincoln wasn't so terrified of her right now, he'd most definitely hate her for using his feelings for Ronnie Anne as a trap for her own enjoyment. Because of that, the main objective on her to-do list was to apologize for her actions on that day.

Unfortunately, everything was thrown out of focus that Tuesday afternoon when the parents got an interesting call from Dr. Lopez. Rita nearly dropped the phone not because the psychologist told them that Lincoln was going to have another session on Saturday, but the fact that he wanted Lynn to be there. Both parents were uncertain about the news, wondering if she was referring to the patriarch; yet, Miranda confirmed that she was talking about their athletic daughter.

First reaction after hearing it? Lynn had to be given the Hiemlich Maneuver due to choking on her portion of turkey loaf. Second, and straight from the storm prediction center, was the hurricane of questions everyone tried to ask the doctor. Unfortunately for them, Miranda didn't give any other indication about knowing what would happen, but gave some hope that it would be a little heart-to-heart. Putting the parents at ease, they didn't pry further, but the girls weren't so easy to sate.

Henceforth, the current sister meeting. The only sibling not present was Lily as it was too late for her to be awake.

"Ok, this is just an unexpected variable in our plan, but it shouldn't be _too_ much of a challenge to pass." Lisa spoke calmly, writing up some notes in her book.

"What do you mean _UNEXPECTED?!_ How did you _NOT_ see this coming?!" Lynn shouted at the 4 year old.

"Chill a bit sis." Luna put a hand on Lynn's shoulder. "Wasn't like most of us expected this plan to work anyways."

"You could totes say it worked a little _too_ well." Leni added.

"Well Lynn, looks like you're up to bat again." Luan half-joked as she ruffled her sister's hair, only for the shorter girl to smack it away after a few seconds.

"Why is it always _me_ though? Why can't Luan go next?" Lynn whined as she jerked her thumb towards the comedian.

"I thought you're the one who can handle anything under pressure." Lori piped up with a slight smirk on her face.

The athlete cast a glare at the oldest sibling. "That's with _sports!_ This isn't sports! This is our brother's life on the line here!"

"Trust me Lynn," Luan started, a neutral look on her face. "If you think you're having a hard time dealing with Lincoln, you don't want to know what I have to fess up to."

"You mean pranking him til next Thursday?" Lynn replied, giving the tall 14 year old a half-lidded stare. "Pretty sure all of us went through that knowing you."

Luan gave a solemn look. "Yeah..." A hint of guilt was evident in her tone. "But during this past April Fools Day...Lincoln got more than his fair share of pranking..." The comedian winced a little as that image of a partially shaved and missing eyebrowed Lincoln came to mind. " _Way_ more..."

A few of the girls raised a brow, promptly looking among each other for an answer. "Did it have anything to do with the fact our rooms were trashed?..." Lola asked in a somewhat threatening tone.

"Wait, Lincoln came back an hour after we found Leni, and he looked ok. Aside from being mad at Luan that is. And he wasn't covered in blue paint." Lucy stated, staring in Luan's direction. The comedian gave a sheepish smile as a couple beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

Knowing her sisters well enough to know where this was going, Lori pinched the bridge between her eyes and gave a slight groan. "Alright," She gave a authoritative stare at her 7th youngest sibling. "What did you do?..."

Luan gave a guilt riddled frown. She knew she'd have to come clean eventually, but at the same time, she also wanted to avoid drawing more ire from her siblings. Actually, Luan knew very well she'd wind up doing just that at this very moment, so it was a lose-lose situation. "I...I lured him out of his room by telling Ronnie Anne he 'loved' the holiday, so I invited her over. He sprung all the traps in the house so she wouldn't get pranked, then I gloated to his face by telling him _I_ was the one who set him for a massive pranking, then expected Ronnie Anne to finish it off with a pie to the face..." A quick glance around and she could see the disproving stares from her siblings, and the sad part is, Luan wasn't finished. "He had a few bruises, a shaved head, bite marks, and his foot was stuck in a bucket by the end of it all..."

It was so silent in the room, you could hear Mr. Grouse tending to his garden outside. That is, until Lola lunged at Luan and pressed her tiny hands against her windpipe. "Have you lost it woman?! Did you even think about how much Lincoln would've lost because of _you?!_ " The six year old screeched whilst shaking the comedian's head rapidly.

"Clearly, I...wasn't!..." Luan choked out as her face started turning blue.

Leni quickly grabbed Lola by her shirt and tore her off the brunette. The six year old was quick to escape her grasp, and would've resumed her strangling if she wasn't tackled to the floor by her twin with Lynn assisting her.

"Time out Lola. No use of excessive force!" Lynn ordered as if she was a referee.

" _Excessive?_ I'LL SHOW YOU EXCESSIVE!" The princess yelled whilst clawing at the air in front of Luan, whose face was returning back to its usual color as she gasped in air.

The comedian rapidly crawled backwards until she was pressed up against Lori's bed, shuddering every few seconds. Who knew a six year old could be so terrifying?

"Guess we now know what sort of 'job' our make sibling was referring to." Lisa piped up with her usual tone, though she was squinting her eyes at Luan as if she was personally offended.

"So, Lincoln set off all those pranks to protect Ronnie Anne?" Leni asked out loud. She put her hands to her cheeks as a huge smile formed on her lips. "LIKE, OH MY GOD! THAT'S SO ADORABLE!"

"Lola's got a point Lu. What you did was just low, _real_ low, even for you." Luna added, shaking her in disbelief. Leni dropped her smile when it seemed clear no one else shared her sentiments.

"I know..." Luan brought her knees to her chest. "I only thought about how I could drag Lincoln out of his room since it was the only place I hadn't set up pranks...I got too focused on the fact he _knew_ he was going to get a prank-free day and rub it in my face that I just..." She knitted her brows in frustration. "I just had to do _something,_ ok?!" A few hot tears left her eyes. "So go ahead and say I'm the worst sister ever! I'm already sure Lincoln would hate me if he wasn't so scared of us right now!"

No one spoke for a few moments after that statement, including Lola who stopped struggling enough to be let up off the floor. She still kept her glare trained on the comedian, and Lana kept a gentle, yet firm grip on her wrist in case she decided to pounce.

"He might." Lori started, getting everyone else's attention. "But he didn't hate you for it right after. Or, if he did, he didn't show it." She sat on her bed. "What I don't understand is if Lincoln knew Ronnie Anne was coming over, why didn't he just tell her not to come?"

Luan shook her head. "I wouldn't know the answer to that, even though I did try to figure that out myself..." She wiped an eye with the palm of her hand. "Hard to get an answer from Linc when he pretends you don't exist for 3 whole weeks...and even then, the only answer he gave me was that it was 'none of my business'..."

"Did you think to ask Ronnie Anne?" Lynn chimed in. "Wait..." She quickly added as she thought her question over. "Nah, she'd likely act like Lincoln and just ignore you. May be worse for bringing her into it."

"So where did Lincoln go after you gloated?" Lori pressed, wanting to end this mystery.

"After Ronnie Anne gave me my _just desserts,_ she took Lincoln out of the house and mentioned drawing new eyebrows on his face and a milkshake. So I'm gonna assume her house." Luan leaned her head back so she could look up at Lori. "But why are you guys just hearing about it _now?_ I thought Lincoln would've blabbed about it at some point before."

"He didn't." Lori started, keeping a neutral face, though her lips curled into a frown. "And we didn't think to ask how he got away 'scot-free'. We just assumed he managed to undo all of your pranks without getting caught, not actually springing them on himself..."

Luan gave an unamused stare at the oldest sibling. "I hardly believe Lincoln's room is _that_ soundproof with all the noise going on in this house."

"You're right, it shouldn't." Lisa stated, flipping the pages of her notebook before jamming her finger on one particular page. "Which is why last week, I decided to inspect the thickness of Lincoln's door along with the amount if insulation in the walls."

"Hold on. If the walls are hard to hear through, why did he have those ear buds then, hmmm?" Lola looked heatedly at Lisa, still working off some of her rage.

"Uh, maybe cause we kept opening the door?" Lana spoke as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.

Lola was about to launch a rant at her twin, but Lisa was quick to cut her off. "That is factual, but after comparing the measurements from Lincoln's room to ours and our parents, I've found the closet door is made of a different wooden material that has substantial thickness to block out sounds under a moderate level. Added to that, there is an odd ratio in the amount of insulation spread throughout the house, which I believe mother and father should definitely get in touch with the home contractor and inquire about."

"In English, please?" Lynn asked, rapping her fingers against her arm.

"Our brother's closet-turned-room is capable of suppressing most of the sounds in our house on a level comparable to that of our parents' room, making it one of the only truly private quarters in this abode." Lisa finished, flicking back to her previous page in her notebook.

"ANYWAY," Lori called out, wanting to get the topic back on track. "Luan..." The younger girl turned towards her. "It's good that you realized what you did was wrong and want to fix it. But like Luna and Lola were saying, it was still very underhanded and wrong on so many levels. You can't use someone's feelings for another person against them, especially for a stupid prank." The blonde glowered at the brunette, who shrank under her gaze.

"You know very well how Lincoln feels about Ronnie Anne like the rest of us, and like I said before, he might not forgive you for it. The fact you probably never apologized for it after all this time makes it worse. Not only that, you could've literally wrecked their relationship! What if Ronnie Anne thought _Lincoln_ set up all those pranks instead of you? She would've dumped him, then he'd definitely hate you for the rest of your life!"

Luan winced a little at that realization.

Lana leaned in close to Luna. "She really does sound like mom." The musician gave a curt nod.

"Now, if you had used _Bobby_ as bait, I'd _LITERALLY_ tear those braces out of your mouth and not care if mom and dad made me pay for new ones." Luan sucked her lips in on instinct as her pupils shrank to the sizes of peas. Lori softened her gaze, laying a hand on Luan's head. "But that doesn't mean there isn't _any_ hope of Lincoln eventually forgiving you. Lynn broke his arm when this mess started, and he didn't freak out yesterday when she sat with him."

"Doesn't mean he won't snap on Saturday..." Lynn muttered unenthusiastically.

Lisa gave a light huff. "If it helps, you have approximately 80 hours to prepare your opening statement."

The sporty Loud whipped her head at the prodigy, her brows partially knitted. "This isn't a court case."

"Why don't you just, like, talk to him from your heart? It's not like you can apologize for all of us." Leni piped up, reaching towards a small case on her nightstand. "If Lynn is going first, we'll get a chance too, right?"

If it weren't for the fact it was known that Leni could focus more when under the influence of her medication, the girls would have their jaws wide open. Lynn gave a subtle nod before jumping to her feet. "Guess I better start practicing then. And if it goes well," The jock looked at Luan, "I'll ask Lincoln if he can talk with you next."

A small smile found took form on Luan's face. "Thanks..."

Lana raised a brow as the older tomboy walked toward the door. "Wait, where are you going?"

"I think better when I'm moving." Lynn's voice carried on as she strolled down the hall, intent on finding the running shoes stashed somewhere in her room.

"Guess we gotta wait 'n see...again..." Luna groaned.

"I think this will be quicker than before. After all, weren't we supposed to get Lincoln to _want_ to talk with one of us?" Lucy spoke with a hint of confidence. She thumbed through her poetry book, her mouth dropping a little as she came across a few tear-stained pages.

"Actually, our goal was to instill a sense of indifference so our male sibling no longer becomes hysterical in our presence. And (as stated before) while this does require some shuffling to do, we can still make this work. However, it appears we'll be more reactive to Lincoln's decisions unless the metaphorical ball shifts into our field." Lisa laid her pen flush with the notebook pages. "And that may be a concern if we fail to react accordingly."

"So, business as usual then." Lori surmised before looking over those who remained. "Anyone else have anything they want to talk about before we close this meeting?" She was quick to glare at Lola before adding, "That _ISN'T_ about last April?"

Lola squinted her eyes before shutting her mouth and crossing her arms. Lana glanced at her twin, with one particular issue on her mind. A light snort came from her as a devious thought came to the center of attention; given that Lola gave Luan a hard time over a near 6 month old issue, the upcoming mechanic felt the princess deserved to be in the hot seat for a bit.

"I got one: why do you keep trying on my overalls?"

Lola's face fell as a visible chill ran through her. She looked back at her twin before turning aloof. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Lola..." Lana warned, a scowl forming on her face. "Remember that talk we had weeks back about _being honest?_ And I _know_ you wore two of them because there's some glitter on the straps."

At this point, the younger twin knew she couldn't lie her way out of this even if she wanted to. Everyone was staring at her with Lana giving her the stink eye, likely doubting Lola would actually fess up to her claims.

Lola gave a long, frustrated groan. "Fine...I don't have much in the way of wardrobe ever since most of my gowns were taken away. So, I started to get bored wearing the same plain old clothes every day." She looked back at Lana. "Is it a _crime_ that I want to accessorize?"

"Actually, I thought you were trying to look like her twin." Leni stated almost immediately.

Lori couldn't help the eyeroll that instinctively occurred whenever her roommate said something stupid. "Leni, she-"

"I know that." Leni cut her off. "I meant like a Saimeise Twin or something. She already has shorter hair now after Lana cut it, and if she had a hat on, I don't think I'd be able to tell whose who."

Both twins raised a brow before looking at one another. Physical appearance was a dead give away that they were identical, but personally-wise they were polar opposites. A yin to a yang, a red to a blue. However, they weren't without their likes, such as favorite food, a secret fondness of being girl scouts, and ratting out their siblings if they had a common goal. You know, six year old stuff. And the longer Lana kept staring at Lola, it became easier to see how someone could easily mistake her for her sister.

The cowlick on her head was a dead giveaway though. To test this theory, Lana took off her hat and placed it on Lola's head. The other girls started to giggle whilst Lola cringed. "Please tell me you washed this..." She pointed at the red baseball cap.

"Washed it yesterday." Lana grinned. "Nothin a good ol' spit shine couldn't fix."

Lola's pupils shrank before she gave a shrill scream and threw the hat to the floor, then rapidly brushed the top of her head to rid it of contamination.

Lana snorted with glee. "Just kiddin'. It was with the laundry." She picked up her hat as the other girls started laughing. Lola made a pouty face and folded her arms again, giving a low growl at being humiliated. Lana wrapped an arm around her twin. "Ah come on. It's all in good fun. Besides, maybe tomorrow we can try to get everyone to mix our names up."

Lola gave an eyeroll before muttering, "I guess..."

* * *

The rest of the week passed by relatively quick, bringing in another weekend for everyone to take a breather from the stresses of work and school. Lana and Lola put their prank to use after the tomboy scrubbed down some of her overalls for Lola to wear, and even forgoed the use of her hat as it was an easy mark. While they still wore different colored t-shirts, it was almost impossible to tell them apart. To make the scheme even more enticing, the twins requested that their sisters give them $10 for every time they got their names wrong.

The first people to fall for their trick were their own parents, who had to double take on their words to make sure they weren't seeing things. Lynn Sr. promptly rushed to find a camera after spouting how he hadn't seen the twins look so alike since they were in diapers.

School was where the real fun started, with several students getting their names wrong and two of the teachers wound up making that mistake as well; the 3rd teacher started freaking out, thinking the girls were from The Shining and promptly went to hide in the janitor's closet. Even Lucy accidentally referred to Lana by her twin before quickly catching herself; the emo begrudgingly forked over her cash at the end of the day. To that end, the twins continued to mislead people all the way into the weekend, with three other sisters falling prey to their prank; Lynn lost a Hamilton due to not paying attention when greeting one of the six year olds, Leni lost _three_ on account that her pills had worn off during the other two times (one was given back to her out of generosity), and even _Lisa_ had to give one up on simple request to ask for the pepper.

However enjoyable the week was for most, it may have come _too_ quickly for the likes of a couple Louds. Lincoln hadn't seen his sisters ever since Tuesday, which suited him just fine as he had been trying to prepare himself for the arranged meeting on Saturday. Lynn had done the same, thinking up some words to give Lincoln to think about when it was all over while also working on her opening apology. She grew frustrated with how it never seemed to sound right to her no matter how many times she wrote it down, and Lynn's waste bin was eventually overflowing with discarded papers.

Leni once again reminded Lynn she should speak from within, and it seemed like that was all Lynn could hope for that Saturday morning. The sense of dread that had been filling her gut over the week was reaching its tipping point, making Lynn more fidgety than crunch time during her games. That's nothing to say how Lincoln was feeling today; he began having second thoughts as the hour drew near, and Clyde had to convince him to go with the usual "you'll regret it if you don't" speech.

The rest of the Louds and Lincoln's social circle held an anticipated breath as 11 o'clock rolled in, and silently wished for the best possible outcome. Or at least some headway with Lincoln becoming his old self.

 _And that brings us to now..._

"So, how have things been going at home?" Miranda asked a timid-looking Lynn, who sat in the lounging chair twiddling her thumbs.

"Good, if you can say that." The tomboy replied, seemingly distracted as she glanced at the door.

"I can safely assume that you're quite antsy about this meeting?"

"You don't know the half of it, sister. I thought _WE_ were supposed to get Lincoln to come to these, not the other way around." Lynn shuddered a little, gripping her shoulders tight. "I know the last time I saw him, he didn't manage to freak out; but I was only around for a few minutes, and he had his friends with him."

Miranda gave a light smile. "Well, whatever you did seemed to have worked. Although, " Her smile dropped into a low frown. "He sounded like he had been crying when he asked to have this session. Do you know why that might be?"

Lynn shook her head. "I can think of a number of reasons, but it ain't anything good."

"Fair enough. So, how's school and everything?"

The jock knitted her brows a bit. "Sucky..."

Miranda pursed her lips a bit. "Some of the students are still upset at you?"

"It died down after a while, but I still get a couple mean looks now and then." Lynn leaned on her arm as she got comfortable. "My friend Margo started talking to me around the time Lincoln got out the hospital; she was still a bit mad-wait, no." She paused before snapping her fingers. "Disappointed. She was still disappointed in what I did, but it looks like she got past throwing insults and whatever faster than others."

"And what about your sisters? Do they still get heckled at school?"

Lynn gave a small huff. "The younger ones? No. My _former friend_ Polly once called me She-Hulk not too long ago, and anyone who started to mess with my sisters gave me an excuse to get live up to the name." She folded her arms. "Now, I've chased off bullies before, but this felt more personal since..." Lynn went quiet as the sound of footsteps reached her ears. They didn't sound heavy and deliberate, but light and trepidatious.

The girl sat up straight as the knob turned, her breath hitching ever so slightly as anxiety filled her chest. As soon as the door was pushed open, a timid Lincoln stepped in, almost immediately locking eyes with his sister. The snow capped boy held his left arm straight to his side with his right, his lips pursed into a thin line whilst his legs locked in place from his position in the doorway.

Lynn studied his stance, her eyes locking onto his left limb before they widened to the of dinner plates. Just as she thought her brother couldn't surprise her even further, one of his most visible injuries was now nothing but a memory. _"He doesn't have his cast anymore. Then again...it's been like, what? 3 weeks?"_ She mentally noted, her lips curling earthward slightly. _"Crap...now he's gonna be even MORE defensive if he thinks I'll break his arm again..."_

When it became clear neither children were going to address each other with words, Dr. Lopez decided to help ease the tension. "Glad you could join us Lincoln." She spoke, drawing his attention before flashing a warm smile at him. Motioning towards the little couch on her left, "You can sit on the loveseat for the time being. I know you would typically sit on the chair, but given the circumstances..." Her voice trailed off a bit.

Lincoln gave a quick nod. "T-Thanks." His body shook slightly to get rid of the stiffness he felt before making his way over to the couch. He sat up straight before turning his attention to Mrs. Lopez, being sure to keep Lynn within his peripheral.

"So," The Hispanic woman folded one leg over the other. "What was the reason why you wanted to have this session today?"

"Last night..." Lincoln paused for moment. Bringing a few fingers to the bridge of his nose, "Wait, it was earlier in the week." He paused again to get his thoughts together. " Anyway, I had another dream about me being Ace Savvy. It felt...kinda real because of everything that happened in it, and I'm still surprised I can remember all of it with how long it felt..."

 _"Ace Savvy?"_ Lynn thought to herself. _"That doesn't sound horrifying. Actually, it sounds like something Lincoln_ would _dream about with all those geeky comics he has."_

"Interesting. Now, as I recall, you told me that the previous dream you had was about you and your friends planning to confront your sisters." That got Lynn's attention immediately, leaning in slightly so she could hear every word. "So, was the next (that is, the last dream you had) a continuation on that?"

Lincoln nodded again. He opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, but paused upon looking in Lynn's direction. The tomboy leaned back a bit, her leg bouncing with energy as she fought back another buildup of anxiety. "Am I gonna have to step out for this?..."

As much as Lincoln wanted that to be the case, he knew just as much as anyone else that Lynn _needed_ to hear this. After all, it was one of the main reasons he specifically asked for her attendance. "Nononono!" He spoke quickly, surprising his sister before he calmed himself. "Y-You can stay...it's kinda...complicated."

Miranda raised a brow. "How so?"

Lincoln tapped his index fingers together, giving himself a moment before he spoke again. "It started out simple, but quickly grew into something else..."

The next few minutes were spent with Lincoln giving a rough draft of his last dream, being sure to keep in the key parts while managing to skip over those that held little importance. Lynn felt a little lost until the action really started to pick up; it also at this point that Lincoln's dreams were much, _much_ more complex than a simple 'at school in your undies' deal. She and the rest of her sisters were aware of Lincoln having bad dreams involving them, though this dream didn't seem as bad given Lincoln's past reactions. That is, until Lincoln came to the part where he and Lynn (who was apparently named Strong Suit) started their own brawl. Lincoln had to pause every couple of moments as he talked; whether it might've been because he had a difficult time talking about it due to Lynn's presence, or because it was just so hurtful and soul breaking for Ace himself was a debate on its own.

By the time he got through most of it, Lynn had her knees to her chest as she was biting her knuckles. Hot tears sat at the corner of her eyes, her mind stuck with the image of beating her brother to near death and somehow convincing him everything was his fault. The fact this Lynn in his dreams was enjoying every second of it was making the athlete sick to her stomach. As it stood, Lynn wouldn't even _consider_ that notion of doing such a thing; how could she even be able to live with herself if she nearly killed one of her siblings over something that, from the sound of it, was a problem she and most of her other sisters blew out of proportion given what she knew now about Lincoln's dreams?

Wait...

Lynn's lip quivered as she began to see the similarities of from the dream and the world of crap they currently live in.

The sisters develop a problem on their own? Check.

Lincoln tries to fix it? Check.

The girls are stubborn about wanting to resolve it their way and refuse their brother's help? _Check..._

Lincoln grows frustrated because his siblings are frustrated? _Double check..._

Both sides end up arguing which leads to a fight? _TRIPLE check..._

Lincoln loses said fight, gets beaten to near death, _and_ believes it was his own doing that led to it? _BIG. FUCKING._ _CHECK..._

Lynn's body started to convulse a little as she took in shaky breaths, her eyes forming a pink tint as more tears started to run down her face. _"I'm a monster...h-he thinks of me as an uncaring, whack job of a sister..."_

So caught up in her thoughts that Lynn didn't hear Lincoln say, "But she didn't finish me off...she just put me down, and it seemed like Lynn was back to her old self; well, more-so shocked that she had beaten me up badly..."

Miranda was about to voice her opinion when both of them heard sniffles coming from the sporty teen. While it may have been the dumbest question to ask, the doctor knew she'd have to say it regardless since it'd be rude not to. "Are you ok, Lynn?"

Lynn shook her head. "I need..." She sniffled again, her voice breaking and becoming raspy. "I need to be alone right now..." Getting off her seat, the 13 year old shuffled to the open door and walked out into the hall. She didn't bother closing it behind her, which allowed the therapist to hear another door slamming shut seconds later.

 _"Sounds like she went into the bathroom to clean her face."_ Miranda surmised internally before turning back to Lincoln, who had a mix of surprise and guilt plastered on his face.

"I...I didn't mean to make her cry..." Lincoln looked a bit lost as he spoke, with his tone sounding as if he was having another internal argument with his emotions.

Miranda could see why: in a situation like this, she knew Lincoln was trying to find some peace with his sisters in spite of what they did to him. However, there were also more, vindictive emotions that may see it as a form of revenge for the hurt and trauma that befell him. The doctor could tell from the first day they sat together that Lincoln wasn't a violent person, nor did he even wish to enact vengeance on his siblings.

"I'm sure she'll be fine." Miranda assured him, keeping an air of confidence for his sake. "And I have a feeling there was a particular reason you asked for Lynn to join us today. Now, you said that Lynn didn't attempt to finish you in your dream, whereas your previous visions involved you getting the axe by your siblings one way or another. Is there something else that happened in your dream that defied the norm?"

"Yeah...as the whole building started to go up in flames due to Zach's bombs going off, everyone else made it out besides me and Lynn. They started thinking we died, but at the very end, Lynn was carrying me towards the exit."

Miranda's eyes widened a bit. "Really?"

"Yeah. From what I remember, she took most of the burns when making our escape. She could've easily just left me behind..." Lincoln bit his lip. "But she didn't. A piece of the roof started falling towards us right when we would've made it out, and I woke up before I could know for sure..."

"Ok." Mrs. Lopez wrote something down before clasping her hands together. "So, referring to the dream, you said you kept having nightmares about your sisters coming to end you. And with this new dream, it looked like it was about to be the same story with just a different tale. But it didn't end that way, and you had this dream when?"

"Last night." The 11 year old replied.

"And the day before, you called and told me that Lynn came to your group table during lunch. Do you think that meeting had something to do with it?"

Lincoln tapped a finger on the seat, searching his brain for an answer. He had a hunch it _might_ have been what was needed to break the mold, but didn't want to assume. However, he couldn't deny that his last dream broke the standard where he'd always end up paying the ultimate price for crossing his sisters, even if he wasn't so sure if he did survive the last dream. "Lynn didn't act the way I thought she would've on Monday when I first saw her...and she went completely against what I originally thought she'd do despite being very close..."

"It would also appear that your sisters are vaguely unaware of how you picture them in your dreams."

Lincoln raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

"Given how Lynn is most likely crying in the restroom right now, I believe it's clear that she took the idea of beating you in the way you described as means of seeing how you view not only her, but your other siblings as well. They are at least aware of your night terrors, but they do not know the full extent of them."

Lincoln gave a downcast look. "My parents don't know either, and I didn't want to tell them about it..."

"You also specifically asked that I do not relay this to them as well." The doctor added.

"Yeah...though I'm starting to wish I hadn't..." Lincoln's eyelids narrowed a bit, feeling as if he was forgetting something. The boy adopted a curious look upon recalling one other important fact from his dreams. "Speaking of mom and dad, I have another problem I don't understand."

"Hmm?"

"My parents...they're dead in my dreams, but I know they're doing ok right now. Especially since I talked with Mom yesterday and heard from Dad this morning. I thought they'd at least be able to do something in my dreams, but they can't. And I have no idea how, or why, it's like that."

Miranda tapped her pen against her chin. She reflected on a few words the parents said in their sessions regarding their relationship with Lincoln, with Lynn Sr. coming to the conclusion that he wasn't as close to his son as Rita. However, from Lincoln's perspective, even _that_ may not be true. "It does sound strange, but I think I can see the whole picture as to why." The doctor thought aloud. "I had asked you about your relationship with your sisters previously, but didn't question the one you had with your parents. So, what kind of relationship do you have with them? By that, I mean, do you guys go and hang out at fun places occasionally or...?"

"Sometimes," Lincoln started, glancing up at the ceiling in thought. He started to count off his fingers as he listed each activity. "A few times we've went to Dairy Land, though other times it was just me and my sisters. We took a road trip to the state park last summer, went to the beach a few times, every year we end up going to Scratch Bottom Camp Grounds even though myself and my sisters hate going there, and..." The boy tapped his foot when he started drawing blanks. "They're usually there for us when we need them, though I do remember one time when they had to schedule time for each of us since we all needed help with something."

"Such as?"

The boy started counting his fingers again. "I needed help with building a volcano for class, Lynn needed help with her pitching technique, Lori needed mom's help with a magazine quiz, Leni needed help putting on make-up, Luna needed dad's help in making some kind of song (I think it was jazz from what I remember), and Lana clogged the toilet so dad could teach her how to fix it." He caught Mrs. Lopez giving a look of disbelief at the last one. "That's what she said, and it's not too surprising to be honest..."

"Ooookaay, I believe I'm seeing a pattern here. From all the places you listed, were these family events or just one-on-one times?"

Taking a moment to reflect, "Yeah, they were all family events. It's kinda hard to only take a few people to those places without the others feeling jealous, unless they're busy like the one time Luna didn't come since she had a gig to do."

"Ok. Were there any times your parents spent time with you without your sisters being around?"

"When I was in the hospital, they visited me every day; Dad even brought me food from home since the stuff at the hospital was pretty stale. Mom would be there for me to make sure I was doing ok, sometimes even telling me about the new novel she's working on. She also brings Lily with her because she wanted to hang around me a lot."

Miranda pursed her lips, giving a slight nod. "Uh hmm. What about before then?"

"Um..." Lincoln started to draw a blank again. He searched his memories to find any other times he hung out with his parents without any of his other sisters, but those memories appeared to be almost nonexistent. "I..." He scratched at the side of his head. "I can't remember...I still know about the time Dad taught me how to ride a bike when I was only 3, and there may be more things we did together that I'm having trouble remembering." The boy gave a light hum as he thought about the time he went to his mother's job during 'Take Your Daughter To Work Day'; whilst he ruined the first novel she had, Rita didn't mind it was a total dud and it allowed her to focus on a new, more exciting story. "Now that I think about it, I haven't really hung out with Mom since the time she took me to work with her."

"Is this because you didn't have an interest in doing so, or were they just busy?"

"A bit of both I think. I usually hang out with Clyde and spend time in my room reading comics or playing video games. When I'm not doing that, they're usually either at work or helping my sisters with hobbies or something." A light frown formed on Lincoln's face. "Sometimes I end up getting dragged to their stuff in support of them since they claim I'm not really doing anything..."

"Ok. Now, let me ask this: do you feel you have a good connection with your parents?"

Lincoln looked at the doctor as if she grew a second head. "Well, yeah. I can always depend on them for help and we don't always have to go out and have fun every time."

He thought about the circumstances surrounding his dream and why his parents weren't around in it. Heck, even he somehow managed to fit Ronnie Anne's mom in his dream and she was still alive. His thoughts shifted again to how his parents would often help his sisters out with their activities, while he had very little else to do besides what a boy like him usually does. Added to that, he only recently started to realize he could draw quite well, but it wasn't noticeable long before his current situation.

The boy's eyes drooped a bit as he slumped in his seat. "But it would be nice if we hung out a lot more...they probably didn't spend much time with me because my sisters were being successful in their own hobbies while I just sat around and did nothing..."

Miranda gave a low hum. "I see. Now, based on this, I believe the reason why your parents have little impact is caused by two reasons. First off, it's because as we all know, you're _very_ concerned about what your sisters might do to you and they've been the topic that's been keeping your mind occupied for a while now. The second reason, and I have talked with your parents to understand this too, is that you are at least subconsciously aware of how little time they spend with you in comparison to their daughters. That's likely the reason why they have little to no appearance in your dreams, as you felt they wouldn't be of much help and it may distract from what you're really distressed about; at least that's how I'm seeing it."

Lincoln's frown increased a bit after hearing that, but the doctor wasn't finished. "However, they are very much aware of this, especially your father as he felt he doesn't know you very well outside of the few hobbies you've been seen doing. Your mother has stated you both are quite close though."

The Loud boy smiled a little. "She isn't wrong."

"However, your subconscious thinks otherwise. And, drawing back to our last meeting, you said you believed that you felt inferior to your siblings because you lacked a talent. Given what you've been telling me about your dreams at this point however," Miranda gave a light laugh as she spoke, "You could be following in your mother's footsteps at being a writer yourself. I mean, I've personally never heard of someone describing a dream like that in such detail. Whenever I have one, I only remember bits and pieces of it and eventually forget about it."

Lincoln blushed a little as he smiled sheepishly. Rubbing his arm to stave off some embarrassment, "Funny you should say that...I'm actually more of an artistic person, at least that's what my friends tell me."

Miranda raised a brow. "An artist?"

"Y-Yeah." Lincoln took his phone out and scrolled to the file that held pictures taken from the camera.

Upon finding a particular picture, he tapped on it so it could be displayed on Full Screen. Passing the phone to the therapist, Mrs. Lopez's eyes became about the size of her lenses as she looked at the detailed picture he drew in art class.

"Guess the whole family is full of talented people huh?" The Hispanic woman spoke in awe, using her fingers to zoom in at certain parts of the picture to see them more clearly.

Lincoln let a little laugh escape him. "Everyone except Lily that is, but she might find something to do when she's older."

Miranda glanced at the time shown on the device, a small frown forming on her face as she noticed Lynn hadn't returned yet. There was also no indication that she was on her way back from the lack of footfalls in the hallway. "Excuse me for a second Lincoln," She handed the phone back to him. "I'm gonna go see what your sister is up to."

As Miranda walked out the door, a wave of nervousness began to build up inside of Lincoln. It wasn't as strong as before, but for those few minutes he spent talking with Mrs. Lopez, he nearly forgot Lynn was here as well. The boy bit is lip and gripped the seems of his pants as determination began to set in. He still needed to figure out how the sister fight protocol came into practice and why he wasn't aware of it until that very weekend. It might even give him some insight as to why his sisters acted so hostile and demanded he not get involved.

* * *

Miranda walked down the hallway, idly listening to the few conversations she could hear through doors she passed. Typical physical therapy, skin care specialists, and regular check-ups were the norm around her place of business. There was even another therapist in her section a few doors down that was specified in Marriage Counseling. As the Hispanic woman walked past a single-room bathroom, she almost didn't catch a few quiet sobs forcing their way past the thick wood.

Backtracking a little bit, the doctor lightly rapped her knuckles on the door. "Lynn? Are you in there?"

"...Y-Yes..." Came the teen's meek reply.

"You're not using the toilet are you?"

"No..."

"Can I come in?"

A few moments later, the doctor heard a soft clicking from the doorknob as the lock was undone. Turning the knob, she gently pushed the door open to find Lynn sitting on the toilet seat cover, using the toilet paper to clean her nose. Her eyes were red and puffy as a few tears leaked down her already tear-stained face. The waste bin was half full from the used paper.

 _"Ok, negative on the face cleaning."_ Miranda sighed inwardly before kneeling in front of the girl. "What's wrong Lynn?"

"I can't do this..." Lynn squeaked out, blinking more tears away. "I can't do this knowing Lincoln thinks of me as someone whose there to break him down...how am I supposed to fix _that?!"_

"Lynn, I know it's hard right now, but Lincoln doesn't see you that way."

The jock glared at the therapist. "He said I was going to kill him! How in the HELL can you say that he doesn't when I was _sitting right there?!"_

Miranda flinched back a bit due to the screams reverberating around the tiled room. "Look, Lynn. I know you're upset, but did you hear what Lincoln said immediately afterwards?"

Lynn gave a deadpanned stare. "What else would I need to hear that isn't about him seeing me as some kind of murderer?..."

"Well, if you were paying attention before you left, you would've heard him say that you didn't kill him in his dream."

The sporty Loud blinked twice, her curiosity growing. "What do you mean?..." Lynn then grabbed more slips of toilet paper before blowing her nose.

"He said that you initially thought about killing him, but you seemed to revert back to you usual state and let him go. Then, after some events happened that aren't important right now-"

"Just tell me what happened..." Lynn sniffed before tossing the snot-riddled paper into the bin without looking.

Miranda gave a light sigh. "Long story short, the factory everyone was fighting in started catching fire and everyone began to evacuate. You and Lincoln were the only ones missing, but then at the last moment, you come bursting through the flames carrying your brother to safety. Even Lincoln was still confused about it because you could've easily left him for dead; but you didn't. He's unaware if you both made it since he awoke before knowing for sure, but the fact he dreamt about _you saving him_ makes it clear about one thing: _you_ performed something that started changing his opinion about you. And he might be starting to realize you aren't a danger to him."

Lynn cast another glare at the doctor, thinking this had to be a lie. " _Yeah right. I bet whatever chances I have of getting a sports career that Lincoln dreamt about me tearing him a new hole to poop through whenever he fell asleep! I knew this session had to be a hoax_ _anyway, and it was probably something made up by little Mrs. Lopez herself. Like, honestly, she had the nerve to create this whole meeting out of nowhere, and-"_ Her internal rant was cut short when the psychologist spoke again.

"I know you think I'm lying to you Lynn; that look on your face says it all." Miranda gently placed a hand on Lynn's. "But I've been honest with you since we first spoke to each other weeks back. I couldn't do anything to help any of you unless you let me. Lincoln surprised me as well when he requested this meeting, and I highly doubt he would've went through with it if he didn't think you were someone he could confide in. I know he's most likely scared and uncertain about all of this, but I know I can trust his _sister_ to help guide him through his troubles."

Lynn reflected on the psychologist's words to see if they held sincerity, along with studying her face for any signs of a facade. As the tense moments passed, Lynn gave a sigh of defeat when she couldn't find anything. "Are you sure he really said all of that?..."

"Positive."

Lynn nodded. "Ok..." She got off the seat and started for the hallway.

"Wait," Miranda stated softly, making the short teen glance back. The woman grabbed some paper towels before wetting them in the sink. "You can't have a heart-to-heart with your brother with a dirty face like that, right?"

Lynn touched her face, feeling the dampness from the tears and almost clear snot that left her sinuses. "Guess not."

* * *

Lincoln waited patiently in the room, keeping his ears trained towards the door whilst glancing around the room. Actually, to tell you the truth, his patience was beginning to run out. And along with it, his urgency to get whatever he could from Lynn.

 _"Is she still in the bathroom? Or if she's not..."_ The boy thought to himself. Lincoln's eyes widened a bit as one possibility came to mind. _"Did she leave the whole building?"_

Hearing two pairs of footsteps, the Loud got his answer as Dr. Lopez walked in with a somewhat better-looking Lynn in tow. Her eyes were still pink and the puffiness hadn't died down yet. Knowing she'd have to let them talk it out, Miranda sat back in her chair, folding one leg over other.

Upon sitting down, Lynn looked directly into her brother's eyes. "All those things you said about your dream...are they really true?..."

Lincoln nodded.

"Including the part about me saving you?"

Lincoln nodded again, averting her gaze for a few seconds. "...I still don't know if we made it..." He stared back at her, clasping his hands together over his lap. "But there are a couple things I really need to ask."

"What is it?" Lynn spoke, leaning forward a bit.

Lincoln breathed in. _"Here goes..."_ He mentally prepared himself. "How did the Sister Fight Protocol come up...and why wasn't I told about it until after it started?"

For Lynn, this would be a relatively easy answer. After all, she was one of the sisters who designed its initial stages. However (and the jock grew a little nervous about this), it may be a difficult pill for her brother to swallow; particularly when she gets to the part explaining why no one told him anything.

The brunette took a moment to gather her memories so she could be as accurate as possible. "...It came up some time after all of us had a series of arguments with each other a few months back. You probably remember a couple of them, especially that one time Lana used some of your comics as cage lining without asking you."

Lincoln frowned a little. "I do...and I recently paid for those. I know you girls had been fighting a bit more than usual, but I tuned it out since I felt it was none of my business."

"You're right, it wasn't. So, during the time you were camping with Clyde at the B&B all weekend, we had a sibling meeting about our issues; all of us were just tired of fighting...and we needed to figure out _something_ before we ended up trashing the whole house again. Now, we thought about waiting for you to get back before discussing it, but there was one thing all of us agreed on."

Lynn paused when Lincoln decided to voice his opinion, a downcast look on his face. "That I'm the reason you guys kept fighting over stuff?..."

"Wh...What?" The jock spoke in surprise, looking at her brother as if he grew a third limb. "N-No! That wasn't it at all! We all agreed that you don't get into constant arguments with any of us, so you had a pass. While we were thinking of strategies to solve our problems, I mentioned the time you helped me and Lucy make up. They asked us how it happened, and we just told them that I slept in your room until me and Lucy were ready to talk."

Lincoln bit his cheek. "I believe I remember that I had to secretly get you guys to make up since you wouldn't do it on your own..."

"Yeah...that was also floated around..." Lynn admitted. "So, seeing how that worked out, we thought the best way to avoid fighting was to just avoid each other until we were ready to work it out. From there, we put together a system where if two people were in a heated argument and needed to cool down, we'll make sure the arguing sisters didn't see nor hear each other for at least a day depending on how serious it was. Lisa even developed a chart to note how bad the situation gets and what kind of measures we'd have to take."

Lincoln raised a brow. "Such as?..."

Lynn crossed her legs. "The lowest threat was Field of Daises, which meant everything was A-Ok. Thunderstorm was the second, meaning that at least two sisters are having a fit, but they might not require being separated; the twins mainly. The third one was called Hissing Cat, and-"

"Wait...how is a cat more dangerous than a thunderstorm?" The boy asked.

"I asked the same thing, cause unless a cat shoots lightning, I doubt Cliff is _that_ much of a threat. But, Leni suggested the name and Lisa said a Thunderstorm mostly requires attention if it's around while an angry cat is something you want to distance yourself from. Lori pointed out how that didn't make much sense, especially since our area can get some pretty nasty weather; like that tornado back in mid-April. Anyway, we decided to just leave it before we ended up arguing about it all day."

"Oookay?" Lincoln replied, giving an uncertain look.

"Anyway, by the time Hissing Cat is in place, that's when we'd start keeping the angry girls separated. By the 4th level, which is Stampeding T-rex (yeah, Lana made up the name), it basically means whoever is arguing haven't calmed down yet and need more time to chill. By then..." Lynn grimaced, knowing what she was about to say would be rather difficult to say since it was one of the reasons that caused her brother to get more involved. "We'd use your room as a holdout spot if both sisters were upstairs..."

The white-haired child gave a neutral look. "What was the reason for that?"

"Well...it worked out when me and Lucy were fighting that one time, but I brought up that you didn't like me sleeping in your room that much. So to save you the trouble, it'd only be temporary. Even though it happened 3 times..." Lynn muttered the last part in embarrassment.

Lincoln's nostrils flared a little as he pursed his lips. "Ok...but why did you guys have to use _my_ bed sheets as a divider for Lori and Leni's room?"

Lynn gave a slight pause and held her mouth open as if she was about to speak. However, she closed it when nothing valid came to mind. It was agreed that using Lincoln's bedding was stupid in of itself given that there were extra sheets in the basement as their mom pointed out a while ago. So, the only logical conclusion was, "...We didn't really think that through, and Mom got mad at us for doing that when she found out cause we had spares in the basement..."

A wave of heat flashed through Lincoln for a few seconds before it dissipated. He jolted for a second after it wore off, feeling a bit unsettled.

"And the last level of course, was Erupting Volcano. I don't think I need to tell you what that means; you were there when it happened I think."

Lincoln let his shoulders sag a little. "Yeah...everyone started fighting no matter who was doing what..."

"Yeah..." Lynn rubbed the back of her head. "After that, we went to Mom and Dad to get their opinion on it and they said it was cool; they were happy we were taking charge in fixing our mess, but I kinda think they just didn't want to always settle our fights. Would've helped during the _one_ time we actually used that stupid protocol..."

Lincoln's eyes widened a bit. "That was the _only_ time it was used?"

Lynn gave a low nod.

"So, does that mean everyone just _forgot_ to tell me about it?"

Unfortunately, Lynn shook her head. "We didn't forget...since you hardly get into fights with us, we..." The girl gave a frustrated groan. "We didn't want you to get caught up in our bullshit, ok? Sorry about swearing, but that's the only way I can say it. Sometimes we argue over the stupidest things like Lori and Leni with that dress, and we thought you wouldn't really understand and find it stupid. And you were right Lincoln, it was pretty stupid. But both Lori and Leni wouldn't shut up about who bought the dress first, so we enacted the protocol so they'd stop screaming at each other."

Lincoln bit his cheek again. Getting the two warring parties to stop complaining was one thing, and he himself knew fighting over wearing the same dress was dumb. Now that he reflected on it, he heard Lori wanted Leni to take her dress back even though she was already wearing one. His hands softly curled into fists while his eyebrows tilted down. This was starting to sound like the whole fight started because of a stupid pride thing between his older sisters; wouldn't be the first time, especially with _Lori..._

"Ok..." The boy nodded. "So, what was the _real_ reason you guys wouldn't let me watch TV that time?" Unbeknownst to him, there was a hint of irritation in his tone.

Lynn picked up on it, a look of concern showing on her face. Still, she needed to answer for that. "We were taking extra precautions. Plus, Luna tried doing a jam session whilst Lori was trying to cool down, and almost took a mirror to the face. So when Hissing Cat is active, we make sure the angry person has a place to themselves." Lynn slumped in her seat a bit. "Even though our choice of rooms was poor..."

Lincoln's gaze softened at that. _"Ok, so they didn't want me to draw any anger from Lori..."_ His breath hitched for a second. _"Even though I ended up making_ ALL _of them mad..."_ The boy breathed in through his mouth before letting a sigh escape him. "Ok...if it isn't too much trouble, I have two more questions..."

"Feel free to ask." Lynn replied, unfolding her arms and letting them fall into her lap.

"W-Why did you guys do it?..." Lincoln asked. Lynn raised a brow, which the boy knew he'd have to be more specific. "Why did you guys hurt me like that? I didn't..." He took a moment to try and a take a calming breath, a wet sensation building in his eyes. "I didn't mean to insult you guys like that, but I was just tired of everything I went through that weekend...and on top of that, why didn't anyone stop the protocol if it wasn't working?..."

 _"Was wondering when he'd say that..."_ Lynn sighed inwardly, staring at the carpet like she was just convicted of murder.

"...Lincoln, you probably know as well as I do that me and our other sisters are more aggressive than we'd like to imagine." The athlete's voice was solemn and neutral. "All of us weren't thinking straight that day; we just kept arguing over who was right, this and that, and being too stubborn to back off and shut up when we really needed to. Then, because you kept spilling secrets, we suddenly got the idea that it was your fault."

"You're not wrong though..." Lincoln gripped his arms as he blinked back tears. "If it wasn't for me, it wouldn't have happened..."

Lynn gave a light huff. "Maybe...but you weren't wrong. We were practically dumber than Leni for thinking our system would work with more than 4 sisters having problems, and we had too few people to manage it. It's like trying to set up a defense on the line, but you put the linebackers in the wrong place. All that anger we would've thrown at each other ended up being given to you, and we practically _broke_ you..." She shook as little as she breathed in deep. "You actually could've escaped once you made it past us." The teen glanced down at her hands as her brows knitted together. "But I ruined it and caught you..."

Neither child said anything for a few moments. For Lincoln, he was too busy absorbing all the information he was given to voice his opinion, and Lynn decided to see if he wanted to talk more before she could continue. Miranda looked between them, wondering if either child had more to say; it certainly seemed like it given their body language. However, her attention was focused elsewhere as the phone on her desk rang. "Excuse me for a moment."

The Louds watched as the therapist lifted the receiver out of the cradle. "Dr. Lopez, how may I help you?...Yes...Ok, great. Uh," The woman looked up at the clock that hung on the wall. "Give me a couple minutes, I'm still with two other clients." Miranda set the phone back down before making her way over. "Ok kids, unfortunately we'll have to wrap this up soon as I have another person here for their appointment." She sat back in her chair. "Is there anything else you two want to say to each other before we finish?"

Lynn gave a short nod before locking eyes with her brother. "I know you may not believe me, and I know I can't speak on behalf of our sisters, but I'm really sorry about everything I've done to you..." She paused to collect her thoughts. "I believe we can both agree that I've been messing up our relationship long before this mess, and I didn't notice it until I realized how much you mean to me as a brother. You probably think of me as some blowhard whose ego is the size of Texas and only cares about winning; you also may think I pick on you a lot just because you're an easy target. But, none of those are true. I just miss the times we used to play together when we were very young, like around the time Lucy was born you know? I mean, you probably don't remember much about them, but I never forgot..."

Lincoln didn't say anything, but the attentive gaze he was giving Lynn clued her in that he was considering her words at the very least. "I'm sorry that I broke your arm..." She flashed a little smile at him. "And it's nice that you don't have to wear a cast anymore." Lynn frowned a bit as her brother shifted his right arm over his left, wrapping his fingers around the elbow. "Ok ok, you're still a bit touchy about it. But, just keep in mind that _none_ of your sisters are trying to hurt you. We haven't ever since you ended up the hospital, and you can imagine what kind of punishment Mom and Dad slapped on us from Day 1." The jock flinched a little as she nearly forgot one last detail. "Oh, and if you're gonna do something like this again...can you please ask for Luan next? She's got a lot on her plate that she wants to get off her chest, and I'm pretty sure you can imagine what it is."

The mention of Luan almost immediately made Lincoln flashback to what happened on April Fools day, and the subsequent days after as he patiently waited for his real eyebrows and hair to grow back. _"She probably wants to apologize for the pranks she pulled that day."_ Lincoln squinted his eyes a little as a more, heated thought came to him. _"Though, she didn't say sorry during the time I pretended she wasn't around..."_

The Loud Boy shifted his mouth slightly as he reflected on the other answers Lynn had given him. He didn't detect any subtle hints of malice or dishonesty, and with someone like Lynn, it was quite easy to spot. Lincoln knew very well Lynn could easily get him to agree to something with the threat of using him as a practice dummy; something she outright admitted was wrong about herself. On top of that, he had a much better understanding as to why the Sister Fight Protocol had eluded him for so long. That was why he tried so hard to fix things and only resulted in making it worse. Even so, the fact they neglected to tell him about the protocol in the first place also meant part of the blame fell to his sisters.

The boy breathed in deep before he uttered a short reply to his sister. "Ok...but I wanna take some time to think about it..."

Lynn became a bit uneasy at the even tone her brother added to his response, but at least he _sort of_ agreed to her request. A few minutes later, and in a shocking turn of events, both kids would even find themselves riding back to their respective abodes in Vanzilla. Lincoln thought about waiting for Mr. McBride for a ride, but figured he could ride in the very back of the family wagon if Lynn sat in the front passenger seat. Call him cautious, which he still was, but he also wanted some alone time to think. Their mother asked how the session went, but neither child gave too many details.

For Lynn, she felt as if a weight had been lifted off her chest, and felt somewhat at ease knowing that Lincoln was willing to hear her out so she could get the message through to him. But she still felt it would probably take _years_ before Lincoln would even consider trusting her and her sisters. The athlete also noted how her brother seemed to look as if he was growing annoyed throughout the session, and sometimes it looked as if he was having an argument within himself on how he should be feeling about what they discussed.

In fact, the tomboy ought to give herself a trophy for 'Most Intuitive Sister', as that was exactly what Lincoln was going through right now. He continued to reflect on what Lynn told him about the Sister Fight Protocol and the answers as to how and why it happened. More importantly, he was given a straight answer as to why the girls were so vicious to him that day. And yet...despite the truth being revealed to him (as subjective as it was in his opinion), they weren't exactly the answers he was hoping to hear. The girls intent sounded good on paper, but appears they didn't consider _everything_ before putting the protocol to use. Lincoln could attest that he has that problem as well whenever he thinks of a scheme, but on a scale like this, Lincoln repeatedly found himself referring back to the protocol as a whole and how the girls were so adamant at trying to make a failing system work.

Now, Lincoln was well aware of his own faults after having glossed over them repeatedly in the weeks before. He would admit he should've kept his mouth shut and let the girls do their thing during the first go around; especially when he caused the second bare knuckle brawl. He could even understand someone needing space, and like Lynn said, it was stupid for them to block off the kitchen and _only_ bathroom just because one person was having a fit in a house full of 13 people.

But biggest problem Lincoln could point out with SFP is the fact his sisters outright refused to explain it to him in advance. Weeks back, Lincoln admitted he thought his passion was the help his sisters; something he thought was being lost due to the protocol in place. Today though, he could tell you that he's looking into drawing more with all the praise he's been given for the little art he's done thus far. But that wasn't what was becoming a point of contention. The lack of information when it would've been useful was what bothered him.

And it wasn't like the girls forgot to tell him either, because they quote-unquote, did not want him to get caught up in their BS. Ok fine, Lincoln would appreciate that; but by not telling him about it, he was inconvenienced a grand total of _four_ times (if you count him being forced to leave the house due to the brawl) and he had an easy solution to the problem. Not to mention he was practically inclined to get involved when they took his room from him twice and stole his bedding.

Speaking of his room, Lincoln was beginning to have a difficult time seeing why any other alternatives weren't suggested; he mentally kicked himself for not asking earlier. There were a total of 6 bed rooms in the house: 5 upstairs and the parents room on the ground floor. If the girls were so pressed to hide someone in a room, why exactly did it have to be his comparatively small space? They couldn't just put the feuding person in any of the other, more spacious bedrooms for a few minutes? Plus, when you think about it, there are at least 3 other bedrooms you would pass before you reach his own if coming from the stairs. And yet, the girls bypassed all of them just to reach his?

Adding onto that, Lincoln still didn't get what was so hard to understand about Lori and Leni having an ego contest by wearing a brand new dress. They can share the same room, but not the same clothing? He knew his sisters could be childish, but really? And how exactly were his parents ok with all of this? Did they even know what their daughters were having a fit over? And one last thing to note,

Lincoln blinked a few times as he felt a dull ache coming from just below his forehead and lower jaw. He had been completely unaware that there was a scowl on his face the entire time, along with his knuckles turning white due to grasping his jeans too hard and silently grinding his teeth together. So many more questions that needed to be asked, and yet the boy found himself becoming more and more bitter the longer he kept picking apart the protocol with regular common sense.

It was at this point that, for the first time in what seemed like forever, the Loud boy realized he had been expressing an emotion he thought he wouldn't feel towards his sisters again; and it what got his butt kicked in the first place.

Anger...

 **A/N: On a wheel diagram that shows the basic emotions of people, Anger and Fear are placed directly opposite of one another. When you begin to lose fear towards the object that is giving you distress, more often then not, you may start to express annoyance or hatred depending on what it is. For insects, this is very common. I used to fear bees, but grew to like the honeybees. Wasps and hornets can fuck off though. If it's towards large animals like say, dogs, people usually either learn to be apprehensive of them or eventually learn to love them.**

 **For Lincoln, he had been so caught up with his fear that he hadn't had time to actually express his annoyance at the situation. Sure, he did at the very beginning, but that was quickly cut off as we all know. Now that he knows more about the circumstances that surrounded the protocol and as you can see from him picking at it in his head, that particular emotion is beginning to resurface. Now, that doesn't mean Lincoln is no longer afraid of his sisters. He might be willing to approach them on a one on one basis, but more than that is still a no-go for him. However, this may make up a bit emotionally imbalanced if he is constantly trying to figure out whether he should be mad or afraid.**

 **Edit: Since a few kept bringing up the error in terms of the date of Lincoln's dream, I fixed that.**


	34. Changing Tunes

**A/N: Sometimes the road to reconciliation isn't always a pleasant one, even if it's a bridge that has several open spots that will lead you to falling to your death if you aren't careful. But with how the session ended for Lincoln and Lynn, that bridge still seems like it's far from getting the funds necessary to rebuild it. As Lincoln slowly starts to regain the anger he felt towards his siblings, especially with the new information he has on hand, many start to think he'll wind up like his near-mirror image in Worth. However, what some do not realize is that base emotions have many different shades. Anger is not always going to be a thermonuclear explosion, but rather, it can be an aura of hidden hostility or tension.**

 **And for someone like Lincoln whose dealing with two opposites on the emotional spectrum, he definitely needs time to sort himself out.**

 **Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.**

Lincoln stepped through the front door of the McBride household shortly after bidding goodbye to his mother. He didn't utter a word to Lynn before the van sputtered down the road, not that she blamed him. The athlete could feel the aura of simmering hostility surrounding the younger boy, and opted to just avoid speaking with him. After all, what more could she say? Lynn officially admitted the girls' own oversight to their procedures and the fact they purposely left their brother out was just icing on the cake of idiocy; while it might not have gotten that far, Lynn felt she'd witness her brother flying into a rant if she so much as spoke a single word to him. It was easy for Rita to notice the tension, as the storm of questions began right after Lincoln exited the car.

No sooner did he shut the door did a voice called out from the living room. "Dad? Is that you?"

"No, just me." Lincoln answered, his voice sounding a tad more agitated than he would've liked. Walking around the corner, he spotted Clyde sitting upside down on the couch with a handheld game in his palms. "Um..." He raised a brow as he took notice of how quiet it felt. Glancing towards the kitchen and hallway to the bed rooms, "Where are Mr. and Mr. McBride?"

"My dads went power walking through the park. You know," Clyde spoke as he sat up, "Their usual weekend workout. I was gonna join them, but you were with Dr. Lopez and would need someone to keep the door open."

Lincoln gave a light nod. "Thanks..." The boy strolled over before flopping on the couch, giving a heavy sigh as he sank into his seat.

The nerdy child gave a light frown. "Did you get anything from Lynn?"

The Loud nodded, but didn't say anything.

Biting his cheek, "So..." He set the game on the arm of the couch. "Was it bad or...?"

"...You ever get those times when you feel like it was better if you didn't know something?..." Lincoln asked out of the blue.

"Well, there was that one time I thought my nanny was feeling sick since she was making weird noises, and..." Clyde's train of thought dropped off from there as he shuddered heavily. "Let's just say I had to see Dr. Lopez every day for nearly 3 whole weeks..."

"...Lynn finally told me about the sister fight protocol, and why it came up so suddenly." Lincoln's frown deepened a little. "And why I wasn't told about it..."

"It was made to settle their disagreements, right?"

"Yeah, but they formulated it during the time we went to the B&B that one weekend. And the thing is, they didn't _forget_ to include me into it; Lynn said they just didn't _want_ me to get caught up in their stupid fights."

"Ok?" Clyde shrugged. "What's so bad about that?"

"The bad part is..." Lincoln furrowed his brows a bit as he folded his arms. "The bad part is they didn't even try to _NOT_ get me involved. They blocked off the kitchen and bathroom for half the darn day, they wouldn't let me watch TV (which is kinda understandable), they took my bed sheets when we had spares, and they used my room as a safe spot _three times_!" He raised a few fingers to express his point. "I mean, we have 3 other rooms before you even reach mine, so why did it always have to be _my_ room?! I mean, there's the attic and the basement too!" His left eye started to twitch a little. "And the dumbest thing about all of this, is that Leni and Lori were having a stupid fit over wearing the same dress! They can share a room, but not the same dress?!" He turned his glare towards Clyde, who flinched a little. The Loud was living up to his maiden name the more he talked. "Me and you wore the same shirt on Picture Day, and nothing was wrong it! And since I'm talking about it now, there's one important fact I remember when Lynn first told me about it a month back: _Leni_ was wearing it first, so why does Lori feel she should be the only one to wear it?!"

The room was dead silent aside from the fading echo of Lincoln's yelling. Clyde blinked in surprise due to being caught off guard by the sudden rant, with the Loud himself a bit shocked at his own outburst.

"Sounds like Lynn really pushed your buttons huh?..." Clyde spoke uneasily.

Lincoln shifted his gaze down to the sofa before staring back into space. "It's not Lynn as a whole. It's just..." He put his hands on his face, slightly pulling down his eyelids as a sigh filled with frustration escaped him. "Now that I know why the protocol started, I don't even know what to think anymore..."

Clyde pursed his lips. "Did you...did you ask her about the beating?"

"...She said they were too angry to think straight..." Lincoln spoke softly, his feeling a bit wetter than normal. "Everyone just kept arguing back and forth, and I had to open my mouth at the wrong time and couldn't slip by without being noticed..." He raised his left arm, twisting it a little and noticing how weird it felt before setting to his side. "I...I guess they aren't really trying to kill me after all..."

"So, does that mean you'll eventually talk to them again?"

 _"Can you please ask for Luan next? She's got a lot on her plate that she wants to get off her chest, and I'm pretty sure you can imagine what it is."_ Those words played in Lincoln's mind just before the session ended. "...She asked me if I could speak to Luan next, and I kinda promised her that I would..."

"But _are_ you going to?"

Lincoln lightly banged his heels on the face of the couch. "Haven't decided yet..."

"Well, when you do, you may wanna think about letting some of that anger go before then. Or..." Clyde paused, unsure of the validity of his advice. "You could just tell your sisters how you really feel, as this does involve them."

Lincoln flinched visibly, biting his lip whilst gripping his shoulders for support. "...I can't do that..."

Clyde raised a brow. "How come?"

Lincoln sent a deadpanned stare at his friend, as if the answer couldn't be even more obvious. "Cause that's what got me sent to the hospital the _FIRST_ time I gave them a piece of my mind..."

The African American sent a weary look in return. "But, you just said that they weren't in the right state of mind when they hurt you."

"Yeah, but that means they'll be perfectly fine and ready to literally turn me into a human pretzel if I open up and say something mean to them. I can't go through that again..." The Loud held his left arm protectively, bringing his knees up to his chest. "I just got my arm back. What if they break it again? Or take my other arm? Or my leg?!" Lincoln gently rubbed his throat as his breathing started to become uneven. "O-Or my head?!"

The boy heard the sound of paper unfurling before a brown, paper bag was presented before him. He gently took it from Clyde before placing on his mouth and starting his breathing exercises.

Clyde patted him on his back while the Loud calmed himself. "I think you're just really confused about what Lynn said, or haven't figured everything out yet. First, you think they don't want your head, now you're thinking they do. And I think you really oughta tell them how you feel buddy; like Dr. Lopez told me once, it's better to not let anger take control, because then you'll hurt yourself and those around you."

Lincoln removed the bag from his mouth. "What did you get angry about?"

Clyde smiled nervously. "It was...something related to Bobby and Lori." The unsurprised look Lincoln gave him spoke volumes. "What? I can't help that Lori is so...amazing..." He stated in a heavenly tone.

"She's also one of the sisters who beat me up pretty badly..." Lincoln monotonously reminded him. "Also, I think you really shouldn't be so hard on Bobby. Have you ever hung out with him?"

"No?" Clyde stated quickly, folding his arms. "Why would someone hang with their enemy?"

"That's my point Clyde. Bobby thinks you're a cool guy, but it'd break his heart if he knew you didn't think the same about him. Don't think I don't remember that time you were being rude to him when you dressed at that waiter at Jean's."

"He had it coming though, right?" The African American gave his friend a quizzical glance.

Lincoln returned the gesture with an annoyed look. "No. He didn't. And you blew our cover when we were trying to leave when those guys showed up."

"Ok, I may have blown our cover, but _you_ " He put his finger on Lincoln's nose, "Would've walked out on Ronnie Anne if I hadn't."

The Loud formed a glare almost immediately. "Hey! Don't her into this!" He spoke heatedly as he swatted his friend's hand away.

"It's true though." Clyde spoke evenly, unfazed by the Loud's irritation. "She would've been mad at you, along with your sister and probably Bobby. Plus, we both know you enjoyed kissing her."

Lincoln opened his mouth right as an accusatory finger pointed at Clyde, but the words died in his throat, leaving only a startled sound to come out. After a moment, a few words sputtered out as he tried to form a broken retort. Each time he spoke, Lincoln had to pause to recollect himself. "But you...I...how does that even?..."

Clyde smirked in triumph as Lincoln curled his hand into a fist whilst shutting his eyes, barely suppressing a growl as he knew Clyde had a point. "At least something good came out of me doing that."

"But my point still stands!" Lincoln blurted out, pausing to take a moment to simmer down. Breathing in deep through his nose, "Look, thanks for preventing me from making a fool out of myself and having everyone hate me, but Clyde..." He placed a hand on the other boy's shoulder, "You're pretty much the brother I've never had. But Bobby's like, the older brother I've always wanted."

"But...I thought _I_ was the brother you always wanted!" Clyde whined, his voice breaking a little.

"Clyde, I said _older_ brother." Lincoln stated, removing his hand and leaning against the head of the seats. "You'll always be my _twin_ brother, in a way. But I'll never have an actual older brother to look up to since I already have 5 older sisters, and I doubt I'll get a little brother since Lily was the last one to become part of our family. So, Bobby is the closest thing I have to that."

Clyde nodded in understanding. However, he couldn't help the twinge of jealousy running through his core. Call it childish, like a pair of siblings vying for their parent's attention, but he still had his doubts about Bobby; in particular, there was the lack of contact as far as Clyde was aware of. "Ok. But when was the last time you talked to him?"

Lincoln gave a curt frown. He wasn't going to argue about this further, as it already dragged on longer than his patience would allow. "I haven't seen him I got out the hospital, cause we were busy dealing with my _sisters_?" He reminded him. "And just do me a solid and try to be friendly towards him please? It isn't like he hurt you in any way."

Without another word, he got up from his seat; Lincoln stopped short of the kitchen before he turned around. "And dating Lori doesn't count."

Clyde had his mouth open to state that little fact before clamping it shut upon Lincoln beating him to the punch. As his friend disappeared around the corner to grab a snack from the fridge, Clyde let his thoughts drift to Lori and her involvement with Lincoln's problem. As sweet and beautiful-actually, scratch the former. Lori might've been beautiful, but she still punched Lincoln's lights out and made him afraid of her; that much he won't deny. In fact, Clyde realized he didn't fawn over Lori as much since the day he heard Lincoln was in the clinic. He assumed the sudden talk about Bobby was what brought it up.

The more he thought about it, the more he started to realize that Lincoln may have been right. Bobby hadn't ever physically attacked Clyde or belittled him; he was possibly even oblivious to the rivalry the 11 year old started with him for Lori's affection. Heck, Bobby called him 'Clydesdale' on more than one occasion; and as far as Clyde knew, you only give nicknames to people you like. Just ask either him or Lincoln the numerous code names they give each other over the radio. Adding onto the fact he's never heard anything bad about the Santiago (no matter how much he tried to dig up), it was becoming increasingly clear that Bobby really was just a nice guy who could be a bit oblivious to his surroundings.

The nerdy child sulked in his seat. "Wow. I've been a real stinker, huh?..."

Clyde flinched as a soda can suddenly obstructed his vision. "Yeah, but it's not too late to talk to him at least." Lincoln stated as he waited for Clyde to accept the drink; he held a can in his other hand.

"I guess so." He grabbed the can, taking a moment to pop the pin. "Thanks. But don't forget what I said about holding your emotions in. One day, you might explode like a volcano if you hold it in, or a super nova! And," The boy took a sip, "You do owe me that if I'll talk to Bobby." He grabbed the remote and flipped the TV on, which revealed a rerun of the Ave Savvy series.

Lincoln sat down next to him, popping his can open. "I'll try...not that it'll be easy. If I know Luan like I _HOPE_ I do, she might have a bunch of puns to throw at me before giving me a literal punchline..."

* * *

Lynn Sr. had his eyes squinted at the laptop screen in front of him, his finger slowly rotating the scroll key as he weighed the options of the website he was viewing. Rita came out of the master bedroom with her purse around her shoulder, acknowledging her gloomy daughter sitting in the arm chair with a book in her hands before rounding the corner.

"Honey, I'm-" The mother paused as she noticed her husband in his focused trance. Moving around toward his back, "Whatcha looking at?"

First thing she noticed was the logo at the top, which was PetSmart. Second, was the list of pets on the screen and their prices; or more specifically, the fact all of them were reptiles. "Water Monitors?" Rita read aloud as she eyed the search bar.

"SHHH!" The patriarch hissed as he clamped a hand over her mouth. He looked around to make sure that none of the kids were within earshot before adding, "Can't risk any of the kids spying on what I'm doing."

Rita leaned on the table as she placed a hand on her hip. "And just what exactly _are_ you up to?" She looked at the screen again. "Is this about Lana?"

The balding man nodded. "Ooh, I just felt terrible after she realized most of her pets were gone for good, especially El Diablo (even though he terrified me)..."

Rita raised a brow. "She's doing better now though, isn't she? We've seen her spend more time with Lola lately."

"She has, but I still get that weird feeling that she still doesn't like me. She hardly talks to me, or look at me unless she needs something, and last night when I heard the twins talking through the ceiling, Lola asked her something about me and Lana tried to skip the question!" The father gripped what remained of his hair as he sulked forward onto the table. "I know taking her pets away was supposed to be punishing enough, but I didn't think _this_ would happen..."

"Oh honey..." Rita patted his back. "I'm sure Lana doesn't entirely blame you. She hasn't had a huge outburst since the first time we got the bad news; but I would agree that she's still trying to get used to having her room less crowded."

"Yeah..." Lynn Sr. leaned back up in his chair, "Which is why I'm looking for another reptile to give her. She still has Hopps and, Izzy I think the name was, but we both know she's always been interested in bigger animals. I spent two days and 8 mugs of coffee browsing the pet sites for anything that would be suitable for Lana's age, and these lizards got pretty good ratings from what I've found." He clicked a link for one, which happened to be a Two-Stripped Water Monitor.

"Hmmm..." Rita let her eyes scan the text, soon widening about the facts that were listed as well as the underlying uncertainty about picking such a species. "It looks...friendly." The mother smiled nervously, "But I'm not sure if it's a good idea for Lana to have a giant reptile like that again, especially at her age."

"She's had _way_ bigger pets dear; don't know where or _how_ she got them, but they were there. Come to think of it," Lynn scratched at his bald spot, "I don't recall her ever telling us the pets she kept bringing in the house."

Rita gave a dull look. "I'm pretty sure that's because we'd tell her to put it back outside. And," She tapped at the screen, "It says this one will require a hefty amount of water, which is rather iffy when it comes to the bills."

"Mmmm..." Lynn hummed hesitantly. "This is a baby though, so it shouldn't need a whole pool or something. And if it does, the kids have an inflatable one in the garage. If push comes to shove, I'll look for another one; but I _really_ think Lana is gonna love this one. Besides, she usually goes to ponds around the park, so it'll be good for both of them."

Rita folded her arms, drumming her fingers against her shoulder. Still apprehensive of Lana owning another large animal, the matriarch knew there was a mutual feeling between herself and her husband that it'd only be a matter of time before the young mechanic winds up bringing another, potentially dangerous animal in the house. It was still beyond anyone how she kept them all in check, even more so when she shared a room with a girl who liked to keep her place clean and free of pests. Not only that, half the reptiles like some of the snakes shouldn't even be kept as pets, let alone within feet of a six year old. Heaven forbid one of them decided to have the kids as a snack, and that was something Rita was greatly concerned about when looking at this species of reptile on the screen.

However, Monitor Lizards are quite popular and have proven to make good pets if cared for, something Rita was certain Lana would be about to handle. Although the listing did note that there was a possibility of these guys biting their owners, they aren't usually aggressive and would normally do so if they felt threatened or weren't in proper care. Knowing how Lana does her homework, this shouldn't be an issue. Plus, there was the aforementioned fact of Lana's constant mud diving and hanging around ponds.

"Well, if it stops her from bringing anything else in the house," A smile formed on her lips, "I say go for it. Plus, since it is a baby, it shouldn't get _too_ big until Lana is older."

"Thanks for the advice sweetie!" Lynn kissed his wife on the cheek. "I'll send an order for it right now. The twins' birthday is in a couple weeks too, so it'll make a good surprise present for her."

Rita chuckled. "You do that. I gotta head to the store." She kissed the tip of her husband's nose before walking out the dining room.

No sooner did Rita shut the door behind her did Luan come shuffling down the stairs, despair clearly written on her face. This didn't go unnoticed by her father. "Uh, you ok Luan?"

The comedian didn't answer, disappearing into the kitchen and returning seconds later with a freshly unwrapped popsicle in her hand. Lynn was about to question her again, but realized she probably wasn't in the mood to talk. Giving a light sigh, he resumed putting in the order for Lana's new pet.

"I'm so dead..." Luan groaned before taking a bite out of the popsicle in her hand. She flopped lazily onto the couch with her emo sister still occupying the arm chair as she was reading. It should be noted that Lucy's bangs had grown back to their usual length, but she still kept her eyes visible through the use of a black hairband at the top of her head. She didn't have to always keep her eyes visible, but you could say that she eventually grew used to it. Plus, while she wouldn't admit it, it was hard to read with hair covering your vision.

It had been roughly 20 minutes since Lynn divulged the news to the rest of her family before going out for another run. While it was good that Lynn managed to get through to Lincoln on specific matters, now the siblings had to worry about him going into a rage if Lynn's subtle hint at him 'looking as pissed as Lola on a mediocre day' was any indication. Not even the taste of frozen grape juice was enough to calm her nerves.

Lucy glanced up from her reading, studying her comedic sister's facial expressions and skin. The brunette's chest heaved up and down for a second as she drew in a heavy breath, an exasperated sigh leaving her forlorn form as she took another bite of the frozen treat. "You don't look like the undead. However, I haven't checked for a pulse yet."

"I might as well be, because I know for a _fact_ Lincoln is gonna blow up on me harder than the Manhattan Project. _And_ Lynn managed to get him to talk to me next."

"It would be understandable though." Lucy stated in her usual tone, ignoring the glare Luan was throwing her way. "Sometimes, fear will lead to anger. I'm almost a bit surprised Lincoln hadn't done it sooner."

"And what would you know about that?..." Luan shifted her position, placing one leg over the other.

"Remember how Lincoln was feeling before..." Lucy paused, pursing her lips ever so slightly. It's been over a month since Shattered Sunday as she called it now, and while her siblings may have little trouble recalling the beatdown, it still sickened the emo just merely mentioning it. "Sigh... _that_ happened? He was on the edge of unleashing his frustration at us, but he stopped short when he noticed those hateful glares that pierced his soul."

Luan raised a brow, not quite understanding her sister's point.

The emo glanced up from her book after not getting a response back. "What I'm saying is, his anger was quite literally beaten down, shackled within his mind until the chains of Fear finally weakened enough to allow Anger to resurface. And since Lynn told him everything he needed to know about our failed system, that's what is likely fueling his inner demon." Lucy returned her attention to get book. "Or should I say, _demons..."_ She dabbed her thumb with her tongue before flipping a page, "Now he has two emotions vying for control instead of one."

Luan looked rather dumbfounded at her creepy sister, slowly finishing what remained of her popsicle. Once her mystic-loving sisters words finally sunk in, the comedian couldn't help but feel like she was essentially screwed no matter how you sliced it. "...Do you still plan funerals?"

"It's been a while, but I still do (despite not having most of my equipment on hand)." Lucy poked her eyes up from her literature. "Why?"

"Because now I feel like I'm walking a tight rope above a deep chasm, and I'm gonna fall off real soon." The comedian responded as she sulked in her seat, allowing the wooden stick in her hands to fall to the carpet.

The 8 year old set the book in her lap. "...Normally, I would be envious of your feelings; but right now, I can't help but feel glad that I'm not next..."

Luan gave a squinted her eyes at the little emo. "Thanks for the encouragement..."

The teen refocused on the TV with her scowl still etched on her face. With so few options, Luan feared she'd just have to take what was coming; especially due to her actions on a certain holiday looming over her head. Speaking of pranks, it's been a while since she did anything related to Funny Business. Because of her success, many parents were stunned as to why Luan suddenly decided to cancel bookings for the rest of the month; it goes without saying that Luan had a dedicated base, as she continued to get calls from parents who planned on having an at-home party asking when she'd resume her business. Regrettably, the comedian had to let them all down with the same message:

"I don't know...won't be anytime soon though. I'm sorry..."

Her heart sank further and further every time she had to skip on the opportunity to bring children happiness; given the circumstances, it would seem hypocritical that Luan could bring other kids a form of enjoyment, while she only served to bring terror towards her siblings. That, coupled with the issues she had in regards to her brother, would've also hindered her performance as she wouldn't be in the right state of mind anyway. Man, did she wish Mr. Coconuts was here...

However...knowing how her siblings get when angry, their rage seems to dissipate within a few hours. The comedian furrowed her brows as she thought about how Lincoln acts whenever he's upset. As evidenced by their attitudes, Lincoln was more or less like Lucy as cliche as it sounded. Sure, when he's very upset or really wanted something, he'd compete with his siblings over it like the last slice of pizza; or that time everyone fought over who should get a treat at the store. Other times though, he'd prefer to be by himself until he was no longer angry about whatever drew his ire. Seems ironic as that's what they wanted him to do when the protocol was in place. But, unlike them, Lincoln didn't purposely interfere with someone's activities by hogging a vitally important room like the kitchen; he also didn't take anyone's belongings in order to fortify his room.

Sensing the situation to be a lengthy version of her deal after April Fools, the cogs in her brain turned as Luan started to formulate a plan to diffuse the situation. The teen's eyes lit up as one particular thought came to her. "Maybe I can appeal to his good side."

Lucy gave a side glance to her sister. "His what?"

Luan bolted up from her seat and speed walked to the stairs. "Can't talk right now, gotta write this down before I lose it."

Lucy had a brow raised as she watched her sister march up to the second floor. Turning to the reader, "I'm just as confused as you are. And before you ask, Lincoln isn't the only one who knows we're being watched. " She buried her head back into her book to hide the smile forming on her lips. "As creepy as it is."

* * *

"So why...are we running...again?..." Ronalda wheezed as she struggled to keep pace with the brunette in front of her.

"It helps me think better; get more blood pumpin' to the brain, you know? And right now, I could really use a distraction." Lynn replied, easily keeping her breaths steady.

Ronalda couldn't help the scowl that was forming in her face. Here she was, sweating like crazy, heart about to pop out her chest with her lungs begging for her to stop moving, and Lynn looked as if she barely ran at all. "But what does _this_ have to do with self defense?!"

"Gotta be quick so you don't get hit. And after seeing how you tired yourself out from throwing only _seven_ hard punches, you really gotta work on that. I mean," Lynn turned around, jogging backwards as she kept her lead. "I get it: you want to end the fight as quick as possible. But if your opponent doesn't go down before you tire yourself out, you better hope you can at least run."

The Hispanic girl squinted her eyes. "Showoff..." She muttered to herself before drawing more air to her starving lungs. "Can we at least slow down for a sec?...We've been running...for 15 minutes!" She panted desperately. The younger tomboy soon became focused on what was ahead of Lynn.

"Aw, come on! Where's your spirit?" Lynn joked, putting her hands behind her head. "Just another mile, and we'll-"

 _PSSSHHHHH!_

The athlete had her boast cut short upon backing right into a stop sign. The sudden halt to her momentum forced her to rebound off the support and nearly fall face first into the concrete; Lynn barely managed to put her hands out in time, a grunt escaping her as she felt skin tearing on the hard ground. Whipping her head back, she saw the sign shaking on its post, with the octagon flashing its bolded letters in the sun as if it was mocking her.

Ronnie Anne would've laughed her butt off if she wasn't so short of breath. Placing her hands on her knees as she sucked in more air, the Latina managed to muster a chortle once she felt she wouldn't pass out. "You alright?"

"Don't say it!" Lynn growled as she stood up, turning her palms over to check the damage. Jagged red lines marked her hands, but there were no signs of bleeding. "Ugh, this is gonna hurt later."

"Maybe you should stop showboating next time." Ronalda chuckled after taking more heavy breaths.

Lynn huffed, cracking a smirk at the 11 year old. "Says the one who couldn't keep up."

The Latina whipped her up at the athlete, her forehead showing a red tint of anger. "Do I look like a track star to you?"

Lynn studied the former bully with a quizzical eye. Ronalda was dressed in sneakers, the gym shorts she normally wears for P.E., a black tank top, and (at Lynn's suggestion) a purple headband to capture the sweat that was no doubt pouring from her forehead. In comparison, the athlete was in her usual track suit with a white and red band strapped to her head.

"Hmmm..." The jock pursed her lips, tapping her chin as she formulated an answer. "If you put on a different shirt, you probably would."

"Hah hah hah..." Ronalda laughed dryly. She stood up straight as she placed her hands on her hips, her breathing still a bit ragged but more even. "So, Lincoln's mad now huh?"

"I guess." Lynn shrugged, leaning on the sign she just crashed into. "Don't get me wrong: I didn't _want_ to piss him off, but after everything I told him about our protocol and how we tried keeping him out of it while _also_ dragging him into it, even I would be ticked at that level of stupid."

Ronalda pursed her lips. "Well...better that he's mad than afraid I guess. At least angry people can simmer down after a while; I know that helps me a lot."

"I didn't say that he _wasn't_ still afraid of us though. No one knows how Lincoln will act if there's more than one sister in the same room he's in. Aside from Lily, he'd likely go from being mad to getting out of dodge before any of us have a chance to talk."

"So...if Lily is the only person he doesn't get scared of, have you tried bringing her with you?" Ronalda gestured, taking a moment to vent air onto her forehead. As she expected, the underside of the headband was very damp.

Lynn tapped her foot on the ground. "No, mainly cause it might feel like we're using her to get close to Lincoln. BUT, she hasn't seen Lincoln in a _loooong_ time; like, probably since he got out the hospital and moved in with the McBrides. Unless Mom's been taking her to visit him without us knowing." One of her eyes narrowed a bit. "Sometimes when Lily would cry, she'd ask for Lincoln, and we can't do much about it since he's a few blocks away."

Ronalda cringed a bit, soon deciding to remove her headband entirely. "I can imagine all the screaming and being unable to sleep."

"You have nooo idea." Lynn folded her arms as she glanced to the side. "Speaking of which, since Luan is supposedly next in line, that reminds of me somethin'."

"What?"

"Remember what happened last April Fools Day?"

"Yeah?" Ronalda raised a brow, shifting her position a bit. "Luan invited me over, but apparently it was a trap to get Lincoln out of his room. He set off all the pranks in the house, and somehow she expected _me_ to end it by pieing Lame-O in the face?" Her brows knitted together as she crossed her arms. "Sorry sweetheart, but Ronnie Anne doesn't play that way. Plus..." Her glare softened as a light tint of red formed on her cheeks. Averting her gaze to the sky, "It was sweet of him to do that for me..."

"That's my point. Lincoln could've just called to tell you that it was a trap and don't come over. That way, he could've just stayed in his room with us and escape that crappy remake of SAW or whatever."

Ronalda gave a light nod. "Riiight. I asked him that too while I was drawing him some new eyebrows, and you won't believe what he told me."

Lynn simply raised a brow.

"He said, in his own words, ' _If you got nailed by Luan's pranks, I thought you'd pulverize me. And if I told you to come another day, that'd lead to the same thing.' "_ Ronalda sighed a little as newfound frustration settled in her gut. "First off, that wouldn't make any sense because _Luan_ invited me over. I know all the rules about April Fools and if I got nailed with a prank set up by Lincoln, I wouldn't exactly be mad about it." She gripped the headband tightly in one hand to let the excess moisture drain from it. "Annoyed? Yes. Mad? Sure, but I wouldn't _beat him up_ over it. And if he said it wasn't a good time, I'd believe him and just come tomorrow. So, I flicked him in the head for being an idiot and told him I wouldn't beat up over something _that_ dumb." Folding her arms, "If anything, if I went through even _half_ the stuff he went through, like _getting my hair shaved off,_ I would've brutalized Luan above all else."

"Same here sister. But I gotta ask, why in the world would Lincoln think you'd do that to _him_? I mean, yeah, you're rough around the edges, but you ain't a monster." Lynn squinted her eyes at the younger girl, leaning forward slightly. "Unless I'm wrong..."

Ronalda detected the subtle threat easily, given that her pupils shrunk a bit as she flinched a little at Lynn's words. "N-Nonono, it's not like that. I mean..." She held her tongue to form her words carefully. "I have been pulling pranks on Lincoln so no one knows that we're together," The tomboy saw the frown on Lynn's face grow. "B-But he's ok with it! I haven't hit him or anything aside from just a playful dab to the arm, and most of the pranks I've pulled are harmless."

" _Most?"_ Lynn interjected.

Ronalda gently rubbed her arm. "...A couple times I did tie his laces together, and at one point he almost fell down the stairs..." Now it was Lynn's turn to bite her tongue as the young tomboy continued. "Look, I get. I know my history is what probably made Lincoln think I'd beat him up over getting pranked, but..." The Latina's face became somber along with her tone. "It still hurt to hear him say that. It's not like I try to hurt him on purpose or anything, and the only time I legit hit him was the first time he kissed me..." She unfurled her headband and situated it back on her head, shivering a little as the damp cloth touched her skin. "Lincoln doesn't know about it, but it just really hurts knowing that he thinks I'd be _that_ shallow..."

Lynn pursed her lips a little. "Did you try to talk with him about it?"

"No." Ronalda put her hands in her pockets. "I'm afraid that I might say something stupid or he'll take it the wrong way."

"I don't see how that's a problem if you're just telling the truth."

"I'm the same girl who grabbed his attention by bullying him. Do you really think I'd have an easy time expressing myself like that?"

Lynn gave a light shrug. "Well, you got this far with him. Don't know what you guys do, but it's working if you're still together. But, as someone who has issues trying to get Lincoln to realize I'm not there to just bully him, I'll lay it out like this: you oughta tell him so he _doesn't_ think of you as someone whose easily triggered." The jock stifled a chuckle. "That's Lola's job."

"I guess..." The Latina dug a little further into her pocket and pulled out her phone. It was almost two, regrettably.

"So," Lynn pushed herself off the sign, "Ready to head back?"

Ronalda huffed, a light smirk working its way out. "Just don't run into anymore stop signs."

* * *

With the weight of so many thoughts gnawing at his brain, Lincoln eventually decided it was better to just lie down somewhere and rest his noggin. Normally, he wouldn't skip on watching Ace Savvy if he could help it; as much as he tried to sort out his feelings, there was just an air of confusion and frustration that only served to distract him from the entertainment and give him a headache that was bordering on a migraine. Lying on his side, the boy made a note not to put too much pressure on his left arm; it was still a bit sensitive, especially around his elbow joint and ulnar nerve. Clyde gave him one of those old ice packs where you just fill a bag full of ice versus the more modern type which is a super-cooled gel pack; it alleviated some of the pain, but Lincoln considered taking some pain killers in case it got worse.

Eh, forget it. He was too lazy and tired to get out of bed anyway.

As Lincoln put his brain to sleep, the brief thought of falling into another dream floated around for a moment. He hadn't woken up in another mirror life situation ever since the previous one that occurred earlier in the week, and aside from the sleepless nights the Loud dealt with due to anxiety for the joint session with Lynn, Lincoln felt his Ace Savvy dreams were pretty much over with. He was a little disheartened as he thought he and Lynn didn't survive the building collapse; try as she might, the jock did at least attempt to save him when all seemed lost. Then again, he'd be good and able to run by himself if Lynn didn't beat the utter shit out of him. Twisting his body so he was lying flat on his back, the boy moved the ice pack to his forehead before lying still. His eyes flicked open for a few seconds, only to close again as the Loud effectively passed out.

Aside from the small ticking of the clock on the nightstand, silence was the only thing that enveloped Lincoln. To his pleasure, his mind started to feel more empty the longer he slept, the dull pangs in his head decreasing he slipped further and further from reality. However, as Lincoln continued through his slumber, a dull sound started to ring in his ears.

 _BEEP...BEEP...BEEP...BEEP..._

Weird...he hadn't heard that ever since he was in the hospital, which he _thankfully_ was discharged from almost a month ago. The boy's eye lids tightened a bit before they slowly creaked open, his vision blurry as random shapes began to take form. As his vision sharpened, the boy began to feel a ticklish sensation on his nose, along with it feeling like something was plugged into it. The sensation soon became too much to bear before Lincoln let out a sneeze, soon coughing as his chest gave piercing aches for reasons he couldn't understand.

"Lincoln?!" A quiet voice called out, which was soon followed by a quick shuffling.

The boy breathed in deep as his eyes shot open; or in this case, _eye_. He could only see out of his left since the right refused to open. The first thing Lincoln saw was a certain little tomboy looking over him, worry very much clear on her face.

"R-Ronnie Anne?..." He spoke, his voice hoarse and weak.

Ronalda immediately wrapped her arms around him, being careful not to cause him further pain. "I-I thought you were gonna end up like my brother..."

Taken aback by the sudden contact, Lincoln darted his eyes around the room. In spite of Ronnie Anne's hair covering half his limited vision, he made out a TV, some medical equipment, buttons on the side of his bed, and if he leaned up enough, he'd barely notice the heart and pulse monitor just behind Ronnie Anne. The fact he felt a slight draft from below as well as his clothing being extremely light told him he was probably wearing a hospital gown.

"What..." He spoke hesitantly as nervousness crept up his spine. "W-What's going on?"

The tomboy released him, and to Lincoln's surprise, she sat down in a wheel chair. Like Lincoln, Ronalda was wearing a gown, meaning she too was a patient. What shocked him even more, was that the Hispanic girl had a cast on one of her legs as well as a hand wrapped up in bandages. Her backpack hung idly on the back of the seat, its sagging appearance indicating something heavy was inside.

"W-What happened to you?!" The boy yelped as he could barely contain himself.

Ronalda glanced down at her hand. "You remember anything that happened at the warehouse?..."

"Warehouse?..." Lincoln repeated, glancing away from her as he started to mull in thought.

Like a flash of lightning, several images burned through his mind, none of them being pleasant. The boy jolted up as he shut his eye tight, bringing a hand to his head whilst sucking in a hiss of air. Ronalda nearly jumped out of her seat, placing her good hand on his shoulder while questioning if he was alright. The heart monitor spiked a little before it settled down as Lincoln came down from the sudden shock.

"Lincoln?..." She asked once more.

"What happened..." The boy removed a shaky hand from his head, looking down at his clothed body. "What happened to Lynn? What about you guys and my sisters?" He touched the bandage that covered his eye, soon registering more of the medical tape wrapped around the top of his head. "H-How long was I out?!"

"Easy Lame-O, one question at a time..." The tomboy half chided before continuing. "You both are _real_ lucky to make it out of there. When the exit started to collapse, we thought that would've been it; you both managed to get this far, only so we'd end up watching you guys die right in front of us..." Her face became a bit grim. "While the ceiling _did_ fall on you guys, Lynn took the hits for you like her life depended on it. It was easier to dig you out, but it was harder to get to Lynn; didn't help the cops were coming, so we had to be quick."

"Where is she?..." Lincoln spoke quietly as he turned towards her.

"Still in the ICU; has been ever since you got here." Lincoln opened his mouth, but Ronalda quickly added "And before you ask, you've both been in freaking comas for almost a week..."

 _"A week?...That's how much time passed from the last one..."_ The Loud mentally noted. He moved his right hand up, only to find strong resistance when he did so. Raising a brow, the boy turned his head to find an unpleasant sight: a pair of handcuffs were connected from his hand to the railing of the bed.

Ronalda pursed her lips. "...One of the doctors found out who you were, and they called the cops..." As if to prove her point, there was a faint sound of radio chatter from just beyond the room's door, which was followed by someone responding to the receiver.

Lincoln gave a sigh mixed with sadness and frustration. Pinching the bridge of his nose, "Don't be...this is my fault..."

The Latina raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

"If I hadn't thought to do this, none of us wouldn't be in here right now...Lynn nearly beating me to death got her point across..." He set his free hand down, clasping his hands together around his knees. "I was too dumb to notice that my sisters were trying to get me to change tactics, and I was to full of myself to realize what was going on until it was too late. And now, everyone is suffering after what happened days ago." Lincoln lied back on his pillow, his eyes becoming a tad wet as his tone went on without any traces of happiness. "The Full House is in shambles, Lynn might on her _deathbed_ for all I know because of me, and then you and the others are probably in no condition to do much of anything..." His nostrils flared a little the savvy crime fighter fought back a few tears, believing he didn't have the right to cry. "I _deserve_ to rot in prison since I can't even cut it out as a hero..."

Ronalda stared at the Loud boy with her mouth wide open, wondering if he had either grew a second head or got a bigger concussion that she realized after being buried alive. The amount of nonsense he just spewed from his ailing mouth was so disgusting to her that she almost had the urge to vomit. Her body trembled as storm was brewing inside her, knuckles turning white from how hard the gunslinger was gripping the arm of her seat. Her eyes gained an ever slight twitch the longer she stared at the boy in front of her, trying (and failing) to understand what made Lincoln go into a spiral of self-doubt like this. The more the answer continued to elude her, the angrier Ronalda started to become. Seconds later, the Latina grew tired of trying to solve that puzzle as her anger started to boil over. Exposing clenched teeth, the tomboy raised a hand that instinctively formed into a fist.

Taking precise aim, Ronalda did the only thing she found was the most _sensible_ solution on the table...

Lincoln recoiled as a moderate, blunt force smacked his cheek. His body tilted towards his right the shock from the impact put him in a daze. "Are you kidding me Lincoln?!" Ronalda screeched into his ear as the savvy hero rubbed the sore spot. "How in the world is _any_ of this _your_ fault?! Sure," Her voice lowered a bit, "You might have been stubborn to take their advice." The sharpshooter then resumed her voluminous rant, "But you weren't the one who went overboard! Who decided to beat you to death?! Your sisters! Who framed you and put a bounty on you and your sister's head?! _Your sisters_ _!_ And who almost got away with murdering another villain and going against a moral _all of you_ swore to uphold? _YOUR! FREAKING! SISTERS!"_ Ronalda prodded him in his chest at those last three words.

"Ok-Ok! J-Just don't hurt me again!" Lincoln pleaded as he raised his hands defensively, shifting away from the enraged gunslinger as much as the bed would allow.

Ronalda panted a bit as her rage began to subside, taking a few moments to stare directly at Lincoln's eye. She could see the huge amount of uncertainty, guilt, and fear over numerous things sitting behind that pupil, making her realize that yelling at him was the very last thing he needed right now. As her mind cleared further, the Latina knew she'd have to use a softer approach.

Ronalda breathed in through her nose and exhaled through her mouth. Turning her chair parallel with the bed, the gunslinger gingerly climbed in, wincing a little when her cast brushed the railing. Lincoln watched her carefully as Ronalda fully sat herself next to him, soon finding himself trapped in a comforting embrace.

"I didn't mean to yell at you Lincoln. It's just that, you were fully prepared to handle your sisters and whatever the consequences were. All of us were behind you, and we wouldn't dare leave you to face this alone. That's why, when you said all that stuff about it being your fault..." Ronalda turned to him. "It felt like I didn't know you, like I was staring at some weird kid who was a total coward and not the person I..." She pursed her lips as she glanced away, and Lincoln could see a faint red tint on her cheeks. "The person I l-love..."

The blush went away as Ronalda looked at him again. "I don't know what Lynn or whoever it was told you, but _none of this_ is your fault Lincoln. We followed you because you're a guy who stands for the good of all, and we'd do it again without question. We _are_ your friends after all, and Lily still considers you the only _real_ family she has left." The Latina then kissed the spot where she punched him, causing the boy to blush feverently. Ronalda gave a sincere smile at this. "But we both know I'm more than that."

"H-How are you so frightening, yet sweet at the same time?" Lincoln finally stammered out as a crooked smile took shape.

"I could ask how you're such a dork, yet humble." The assassin replied, pulling him closer. Lincoln moved his arm a bit until it wrapped comfortably around her waist. "Besides, if it's worth anything, I'd say we came out of that fight better than your other sisters."

The boy raised a brow. "How so?"

Ronalda hummed as she started to recall many injuries as best she could. "On our side, it's just me and you that are in here. Queen sent a shard in my leg and hand, and Lynn beat you to near death. Even though you already admitted it, I could right away some of those bruises weren't from falling concrete; another doctor even said it looked like you had blunt trauma from someone hitting your ribs because of the size of the bruise." She gently rubbed his cloth-covered eye. "Mom says your lucky you still have this one, but you won't be able to use it for a while."

"Your mom's a doctor?"

"Yeah? Thought you knew that." Her eyes appeared crestfallen as she moved onto the other bit of news. "She also knows of what I do as a hero now. Long story short...it's..." Her nose flared a bit as her eyes became a tad watery. "It's complicated...Mom doesn't want me to fight with you guys anymore, but I told her the reason for it and she kinda understands why. But at the same time...she doesn't want to lose me too, you know?"

"...Bobby hasn't woken up yet?..." Lincoln asked, his look matching hers.

Ronalda gave a curt nod. "I know me and Mom only have each other now..." Her grip tightened a bit around the Loud's side. " But I can't just sit around and not do anything! I mean, I'll need time to heal _now_ with this busted leg," She gestured towards her cast, "But I couldn't leave you and everyone else to fend for themselves. I've done things that even someone like you would refuse to do, and the city has been safer because of that."

Lincoln nodded in agreement. The amount of homicides went down on a weekly basis as the murderers had been usually found with a bullet in their heads, as grizzly as it was.

"I want to listen to Mom, but I also want to keep her safe..." Ronalda let her head lie on Lincoln's shoulder. "And I feel the only way I can do that is being out there, doing what I do best."

"I know that feeling..." Lincoln started, moving his hand towards the small of the girl's back, giving it a few gentle strokes. "When my sisters first found out I was Ace Savvy, their thoughts were split. My younger sisters thought it was cool, but my older sisters cared more about my safety and wished that I'd stop. I even got into several arguments with Lori about it." He stayed silent for a moment, letting the wave of depression was over him before mustering the strength to continue.

"There were days where home...just didn't feel like home. Everything was always tense, like we were waiting for a bomb to go off. A few times when me and Lori argued, it almost got physical; and while I know we both said some things we shouldn't say to each other, there was a level of understanding. She was just worried about losing another family member since we already lost our parents, and if I had to be honest, Lori had become more like Mom in many ways since we were orphaned. But I was just torn, and wanted to follow my gut; I really wanted to listen to Lori, but I also wanted to do my best keeping _them_ safe. If I could've had it both ways, it'd be easy." Lincoln let a sigh escape him. "But it never is..."

"How did you manage to change their minds?" Ronalda asked as she glanced up at him. "Did they just eventually give up on trying to stop you even though it hurt them a lot on the inside?"

Lincoln managed a little smile. "Kinda. Instead, they decided to join me." His smile soon disappeared with sadness regaining the controls. "Guess even hero families still have problems..." The savvy crime fighter glanced at her. "So...what happened to everyone else?"

"As far as I know, they're still hiding out at the base. Lily especially came in to visit you a few times, and she'll likely be screaming in my ear for not calling her when you woke up. They weren't hit too much, just some mild bruising that went away already. Your other sisters though..." Ronalda paused to gather her thoughts, along with preparing Lincoln for some grim news. "Lori had all the bullets I shot her with removed, but she's still weak and can't eat too much. Leni...she has a skull fracture and it's unknown when she'll wake up. Don't know where she got it from, but I think she probably hit a boiler with her head. As you already know, Lynn is still in the ICU and is unlike to wake up soon. She's got several broken ribs, her legs aren't in good shape, and I heard something about her spine or whatever..."

The sharpshooter could see the hidden distress in Lincoln's eyes. The possibility of losing any of his sisters would be pretty hard to bear, something she already went through when Bobby was shot all those months ago. "However, I heard the doctors say they were at least stable, so they'll live. I think..." This didn't help his mood as Lincoln gave light huff. Whether or not he was bottling up his despair was unknown to her, but Ronalda continued. "Your other sisters are somewhere out there. That joker and rocker are doing ok, though I saw the spooky one come in here once to get her ears checked. As for the smaller ones, the one with the glasses is fine and so are the two that I think are twins; well, except the one who acts like a spoiled brat. I bet she's got a bad arm now since I took a shot at her."

Lincoln was about to respond when they heard talking at the door. "I urgently need to see my ailing brother, please." Came a muffled voice that reeked of high intellect.

"Hate to break it to you sweetie, but your brother is a known criminal. I'm already hesitant on letting _one_ person look at him." The officer, who was likely female, responded back.

"And I regret to inform _you_ ," Shuffling could be heard, "I wasn't asking."

"What the-"

 _BZZZZZZZZZT!_

Both tweens glanced at each other in confusion before a loud thud was heard. The door opened to reveal Lisa (dressed in her plain clothing) struggling with dragging the fallen cop into the room. The couple immediately went into a panic, with Lincoln being fearful of his life and Ronalda quickly digging into her backpack. Ignoring the pain in her leg, she pulled out a heavy revolver (her father's gun), then shuffled herself to Lincoln's front and pointed it directly at the 4 year old.

Lisa heaved a sigh of relief before kicking the door shut, only to give a girlish yelp upon noticing the weapon being aimed at her. Raising her hands defensively, "Please put that away. I am not here to cause any further harm."

"Like I'll believe that! You just killed a cop for all I know!" The Hispanic girl retorted.

"She's not dead." Lisa stated, reaching behind her person and holding out a taser gun to her left. "I just applied enough voltage to keep her unconscious for a few hours." She dropped it to the floor and kicked it out of reach.

"W-What do you want Lisa?..." Lincoln squeaked out, hugging the bed sheets close to himself.

The prodigy cleared her throat. "After that disastrous brawl at the Royal Woods Lumber Yard, and after reviewing what footage I could retrieve from the security system, I've come to the conclusion that none of our teams are in any condition to handle our usual slew of villains and high ranking crimes like planned out bank robberies. It has also..." Lisa paused, the thought of her 3 sisters in various conditions flashing through her mind. "It's allowed everyone to reflect on our actions, which are not remotely positive in any way. It goes without saying that hardly anyone has been able to get any rest over the past 120 hours..." The little girl rubbed her eyes a bit, which Ronalda noticed a few, lightly visible bags under them.

Regardless, the sharpshooter wasn't convinced of the little sob story. "Yeah yeah, you guys are worried about your 3 sisters," Ronalda spat acidically. "But not one ounce of concern for your brother..."

"That's not true!" Lisa retorted, glaring back at the sharpshooter. "Yes, we intended bodily harm towards Lincoln, I won't deny that. But we never wanted his death!"

"Lynn was about to mme that a reality after she defeated me..." Lincoln spoke quietly as the the girls turned to him. "I-I had to beg her not to before she let me go..."

Lisa pursed her lips, holding down a frustrated growl as she exhaled through her nose. "Neither myself or our other siblings were previously aware of this until now. If she were awake, I'd definitely give her a massive lecture about following orders..."

"Still doesn't explain what the heck you're doing here." Ronalda reminded them, lightly thumbing the hammer of the revolver. "Now spill before I decide to put _you_ in a bed..."

Lisa took her bag off and unzipped the top pocket, pulling out what appeared some type of medical case. The prodigy opened the case and turned it towards them, revealing 5 syringes with a green fluid contained within.

"Ever since our last altercation, I've been working tirelessly to ensure the health for everybody current receiving intense medical treatment. Everyone in my family, including myself, is afraid of losing one another over a petty squabble that put _four_ of our siblings (Lincoln included) in the emergency room. God forbid that any of them perish from their injuries..." Lisa had to stop for a moment to collect herself, the death of her parents coming to the forefront of her immense brain. "We are literally all that remains of our family after mother and father's untimely passing...and we can't afford to lose anyone else..." She took out a syringe, giving the needle a light flick of the fingers. "This is a potent healing solution that can return the body to 100% functionality. I had a prototype ready at the time, but Clyde had stolen it before I could properly test it."

Lincoln's eyes widened a bit. "Y-You knew about that?"

Lisa gave a short nod. "Saw everything on my security feed. I would've notified our sisters about this, but I wanted to see if my long and tedious labor paid off. There was a 20% chance the body would reject the drug and eventually lead to systematic organ failure, a bit more so at the chance of an unknown mutation." She spoke nonchalantly while adjusting her specks.

The part about 'organ failure' made Lincoln's pupil shrink down as best it could, with Ronalda getting rightfully irate at Lisa's uncaring attitude. Her finger twitched around the trigger. "You sick little-" The Latina started.

"BUT! Given how quickly Lincoln must've recovered from injuries that would've left him bed ridden for 40 days, I can safely assume my project was a success." The 4 year old took out another syringe. "With this batch, I've further decreased the chance of the body rejecting the fluid as well as the chance of mutation. Adding onto this, I've not only fixed Lola's damaged scapula, but I've done the same with Lucy's auditory nerves." She walked over and placed them on the bed. "These should cure you in as little as a few minutes."

Ronalda glared at Lisa for a few moments before giving a huff as she put her gun behind her. Picking up a syringe, she eyed it critically whilst rotating it in her fingers. Focusing back on the prodigy, "How do we know you aren't lying and this isn't some kind of poison?"

Lisa calmly rolled up her sleeve, showing a part of her forearm that had a spot of irritated skin with a small hole at its center. "While it may not be valid proof, I have tested it on myself." Rolling her sleeve back down, "Lily left some particularly nasty purple blemishes on my face and eye. Now, unfortunately I must be quick to give these to my other siblings." The brunette backed away from the bed, grabbed her case off the floor and stuffing it into her bag.

"I don't get it..." Lincoln stated, eyeing his little sister in uncertainty. "First Lynn almost kills me, then risks her life for me when she could've left me behind. And now you're helping us Lisa? Just...why? Why are you doing this now of all times?..." He lifted the hand that was cuffed to the bed. "You guys labeled me as a criminal; I thought you'd prefer to see me in jail or stuck in bed for the rest of my life..."

Lisa strapped her bag onto her person. "Family ties run deeper than you may realize Lincoln." Turning around, "While our actions may not have been the most logical approach, you could say we weren't in the best mental state when attempting to resolve our issues. Not only that," Lisa whipped out her tablet, swiping her fingers across the screen a few times. "I suspect there's more going on to this whole scenario than we realize."

Lincoln had a hunch on what Lisa might be referring to, but he couldn't assume much. "What do you mean?"

"Tell me..." Lisa squinted her eyes, her tongue sticking out as she continued to fiddle with the screen. "Do you notice anything 'off' in these?" Came her question upon passing the tween her tablet.

Several pictures taken from security cameras in the warehouse showed the girls at different stages during the fight. To Ronalda, she didn't see anything out of place; part of it might have to do with the fact she had a simmering rage burning within however. Lincoln, on the other hand, spotted something odd almost immediately. Blowing up a few pictures, the heroic detective noticed the odd coloring in each of his sister's eyes. The only one who still appeared to be normal was Lily, given the picture of herself and Lisa fighting on a catwalk.

"This can't be right..." Lincoln muttered. "No one in our family has yellow eyes. But, I saw Lori and Lynn with them even though Lori has blue and Lynn is brown."

Ronalda pursed her lips in thought. "Mmm..." She scratched at her head. "Now that I think about it, I think I saw it too. Not with just Lori, but Leni too and the princess girl."

"Lola." Lisa corrected. "And, that's precisely my point." She took the tablet back. "There's something strange going on, and..." The little girl paused, seeming hesitant to continue. "W-While it would be extremely impolite to ask this of you as we don't deserve your help, I don't know of any other persons who can handle a task like this." Lincoln didn't immediately respond after a few moments, so Lisa continued. "Please, get to the bottom of what's going on with us, before we lose our minds completely..."

The prodigy took her cue to leave, though not before checking the cop to ensure she was still out cold. Satisfied with her analysis, the prodigy collected her taser gun and walked into the hallway, making a beeline for Lori's room.

Ronalda watched the door for a moment before turning back to Lincoln. "So," She grabbed her revolver and stashed it back into her bag, "Was she talking about them being under some kind of mind control?"

"Didn't seem like it. They were fully aware of what they were doing," Lincoln's eyebrows tilted down a bit as an unexpected flash of anger flowed through him; now wasn't the time to dwell on that though. "But I did notice Lynn's eyes turn back to their usual color just before..." Lincoln's lip quivered a little, with the Loud soon shaking his head to try and move on from that horrible experience. "Anything really bad happened. But, if it is mind control..." Lincoln squinted his eye as he mulled in thought. "Me and Clyde haven't heard anything about a certain vampire for months now..."

Ronalda's eyes went wide. Out of all the villains she could think of, there was one in particular that had a great likeness towards anything dark and sinister; along with a gross habit of messing with other people just for the hell of it. "You think _she_ might have something to do with this?"

"Most likely. If hearing what Lucy talks about is anything, it's supposed to be one of their abilities."

"Well, that just makes things dandy..." The sharpshooter spoke dryly, shifting her gaze to the syringe in her hand. "What do we do about these?"

Lincoln gazed at the medical tool, a bit hesitant at the sudden help from the one person who likely orchestrated the coup against him. "Clyde gave me one of those before, and I felt better in seconds." He grabbed the other, eyeing the substance sloshing in the container. "Looks the same too."

"Even then, it could still be a trap." Ronalda gripped the tool in her hand tightly. "I'll go first." She positioned the needle against the vein in her arm. "Lincoln...if I die from this, just know that..." A red tint formed on her cheek as she bit her lip. "J-Just know that I-I've always liked you..."

Before Lincoln could give his own response, Ronalda injected herself with the strange mixture. It felt weird and uncomfortable as the foreign liquid entered her bloodstream, soon making its way throughout her circulatory system. At first, the tomboy thought her arm might experience tissue death as the substance ate its way through her body, or possibly organ failure or unconsciousness as Lisa's project worked its way through her body. The slowest deaths are always the worst, which is why she often preferred to make her kills quick. Doesn't stop Ronalda from toying with her victims if they deserve it though.

To her surprise, Ronalda barely felt a thing. Well, not necessarily _nothing_ , but the Latina started to feel as if she was wrapped in a warm, fuzzy blanket. She moved the fingers of her hand that had been stitched, quite surprised to feel no amount of pain from just moving one digit. Even more so, the dull ache of her pierced leg soon vanished like it never happened in the first place. Taking a risk, Ronalda undid the straps to her cast before slipping it off entirely. Fresh skin marred the spot where her shin was pierced, leaving only a pink tint on the exact spot the shard cut her.

Wiggling her toes a bit, "Guess she wasn't lying."

Lincoln hummed in approval, soon injecting himself with the other syringe. Like his girlfriend, his body began to feel immensely better, though he shuddered a bit as his bones popped back into place along with the odd sensation of his missing teeth growing back. The patch around his eye started to feel uncomfortable, at which the Loud started to undo the tape that held it in place. Wincing a bit as skin and hair was pulled, Lincoln soon removed the patch, blinking his right eye a few times as his perception increased. Rubbing the socket to get rid of any dead skin, Lincoln was surprised (and delighted) to find his vision was back to its 20/20.

"That feels, much..." The boy lied back on the bed, "Better..."

Ronalda grinned at her boyfriend, soon climbing off the bed. Unfortunately, the moment she put weight on her recently healed leg, it slipped out from under her. Lincoln jolted up upon hearing a loud thud echo in the room, soon scrambling over to the side Ronalda slipped off. "Ronnie Anne?!"

"I'm ok! My leg is still asleep..." The tomboy groaned, gripping the railing to hold herself upright. She eyed the handcuffs still attached to Lincoln's hand before turning back to the sleeping officer. "Give me a sec."

Hobbling over on one leg, she knelt down and padded the woman's body before finding a set of keys. Unclipping them from her belt, the Latina hopped back to the bed, eyed the keyhole on the cuffs for a moment before fiddling with the keys until she thought she found the right size. It was a perfect match as Ronalda inserted the key and twisted the lock, the latch coming undone around the bed before doing the same to Lincoln's hands.

"Thanks." Lincoln rubbed his wrist, glancing at the cop sprawled on the floor. "What about her?"

Ronalda gave a wide smirk. "Oh, don't worry about her." She spoke as she twirled the cuffs in her hand as she shuffled over to the cop, soon stopping them by whipping the cuffs into her fist. "You just worry about getting out of here and back to the hide out. We'll figure something out later."

Lincoln raised a brow as he climbed out of bed, his legs feeling a bit wobbly due to their lack of use after a few days. "What about you?"

Ronalda had her tongue sticking out partially as she turned the cop onto her stomach, moving her hands towards her back and strapped the cuffs on. "Besides Mom, no one else knows my identity. So I can just easily say you got away when I wasn't looking." She stood back up after making sure the cuffs were secure.

Lincoln gave a short sigh. "So much for having a decent rep..."

"Pffff!" The tomboy placed a hand on the wall. "I hardly had one as is anyway, and you don't see me crying about it."

"True..." He did a quick check around the room, a bit dismayed that there were no spare clothing for him to wear. _"Guess I'll have to stick with this gown until I can find a store..."_ Lincoln glanced over at Ronalda, a devious idea forming in his head. _"But_ _first..."_ A wide smirk started to form externally. "Before I leave, I got one thing I really need to do."

Ronalda formed a confused stare as she pushed off the wall. The tomboy was about to voice her thoughts when Lincoln suddenly grabbed her by the arms and pulled her in a kiss. Her eyes nearly popped out of her skull as they held the position for a few moments before Lincoln took his lips off hers. "Thanks for waiting for me to wake up." He then lightly kissed her on the nose before leaning close to the Latina's ear. "And that was for the surprise attack last week."

Before the sharpshooter could respond, Lincoln took his leave; he checked the hall to make sure no other doctors (or cops) were around before following signs towards a set of stairs. Ronalda blinked as she continued to stare at the door with her eyes still the size of snack plates and her mouth hanging open slightly. Once her brain finally restarted itself, she shut her trap, which formed into a cute smile as her lids fell half-way.

"I'm so lucky I got his attention..."

* * *

While Lincoln was asleep in his room, Clyde paced back and forth in the living room, occasionally checking the front door as if it would open at any moment. Beads of sweat were on his forehead as he checked the time. "Ok, it's almost 4:30. You can do this Clyde; just try to know your enemy." He breathed into a paper bag before exhaling, trying to keep his determined look from faltering.

Following his friend's advice, Clyde finally relented and invited Bobby over so they could hang. Despite his busy schedule, the oldest Santiago child was able to make time for 'The Clydesdale', even mentioning how much fun they had at the town fair earlier in the season. Clyde held an awkward smile during the whole talk over the phone before quickly asking if he could come over. Bobby had to pause to register everything Clyde said before agreeing.

And now, the moment of truth...

Clyde stopped his pacing upon hearing the doorbell ring, with Cleopawtra and Nepurrtiti meowing in curiosity as the eldest cat approached the door. He knew it couldn't have been his dads as they have keys, and the nerdy boy highly doubted the Loud siblings would risk a visit; not to mention Clyde didn't have any plans with his other friends today. Gingerly walking to the door, the boy lifted a shaky hand before swinging it wide open; what would normally be the best greeting anyone could get just felt very weird to him.

"Sup Clydesdale!" Bobby spoke, holding out an extended fist.

"Heeeeeey." Clyde smiled nervously as he bumped fists with the teen.

 **A/N: Yeah, this was more of a filler chapter than anything else, but we still got to see a bit of progress being made. Next time we may go into more detailed topics, like Luan's idea to avoid a major rant being shot her way. However, that in itself would be difficult due to her comedic taste not exactly flowing well with her brother. At the same time, Lincoln feels he can't voice his opinion without suffering another beatdown if he were to cut loose. At least he can find comfort in the fact he survived that horrific brawl in his dreams, which could influence his decisions later on. Man, I hate that I'm reduced to updating once a month...**

 **As a special note to a certain user by the name of LoudHater: you may have noticed that I had been deleting any review you leave. That is because I don't have time to deal with cowards who would bash others just because they refuse to stroke your hate bonor for everyone but Lincoln. You're free to make your own fic (which I'm certain would get bashed to hell and back given how you write your reviews), but please note this: it really brings a smile to my face, knowing how much I'm pissing you off. :D**


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